Does Kindness Improve Performance?

Show Notes Summary

In this episode of The Mindful CEO, Chris Angell and Aaron Hendon wrestle with a provocative question: does kindness actually belong in high-performance culture? Far from soft or indulgent, they argue that kindness is a powerful driver of accountability, resilience, and long-term results. Through stories of meditation students, business teams, and their own experiences, they uncover the crucial difference between niceness and kindness, why hustle culture often resists it, and how leaders can use kindness as both a strategy and a stance. This episode challenges the assumption that toughness equals effectiveness and offers a mindful alternative that creates sustainable success.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about How to Live a Grateful Life in a Fucked Up World → https://thegratefulbreath.com

• Learn more about From Hustle to Flow: Sell more by stressing less → https://www.therealtorsedge.com 

Episode Outline

• Welcome back and framing the dragons of hustle culture

• Niceness vs kindness: why the distinction matters

• Meditation students, self-assessment, and the drop-out pattern

• How kindness strengthens accountability and resilience

• The role of compassion in leadership and team dynamics

• Busting the myth that kindness undermines performance

• Practical ways leaders can practice mindful kindness

• Closing reflections and future vision