For all good leaders, kindness counts. That quality reflects a leader who is sensitive and empathetic about his or her team and what they need to succeed, Mary Anne Amato writes in a recent “Leading the Way” posting on Harvard Business Publishing’s Corporate Learning blog.

Amato writes that the qualities of kindness – being friendly, generous and considerate – can help leaders coach their teams in very effective ways.

To be considerate, for example, a leader will consider whether he or she is taking into consideration the needs of the team being coached. Friendliness translates into warmth, letting the team know that their leader is human. Generosity from a leader means giving plenty of time, expertise and insight to shape his or her team and help them grow in the ways that serve them best.

Amato’s full blog posting – “Kindness Counts in Leadership – can be accessed by clicking here.