What does Goodness have to do with Leadership?

In my leadership work, we explore the connection between leadership and influence—how to shape culture, drive outcomes and inspire teams. But beneath the metrics and strategies, there’s a quieter, often overlooked capacity that transforms leadership from competent to deeply impactful: the practice of goodness.

Not goodness as moral virtue or performative kindness. It’s something simpler, more grounded. It’s the capacity to bring warmth, steadiness, and clarity into a room. To be a calming presence in a storm. To transmit safety through tone, pace, and presence. As leaders we can do this, through the internal cultivation of goodness; savoring of what is pleasant, real, and life-affirming. 

When leaders learn to attune to these moments; letting goodness in, they become steadier, more present, and more trustworthy. Practicing goodness doesn’t just make us feel better. It makes us lead better. 

The Nervous System of Influence 

Leadership doesn’t begin with words or decisions. It begins with state. A leader’s nervous system, regulated or reactive, sets the emotional tone for the team. When a leader is grounded, others breathe easier. When a leader is tense or scattered, others brace and go on alert. 

This isn’t abstract. It’s biological. Our brains are wired for co-regulation. We attune to each other’s cues through facial expressions, vocal tone, posture. That means your mindset isn’t private. It’s contagious. 

Mindful, slow leadership begins with self-awareness. Not constant calm, but the willingness to pause and ask: “How am I affecting those around me right now?” 

The Bias Toward What’s Broken 

Executives are trained to scan for problems: risk, gaps, blockages; what’s not working. It’s a necessary skill but when left unchecked, it can create a chronic negativity bias. Couple that with the brain’s natural tendency to prioritize threat over reward, and you have a recipe for reactive leadership. 

Rick Hanson, a psychologist and author, calls this the brain’s “Velcro for bad, Teflon for good” tendency. 

Goodness Is Not Gratitude 

The practice of goodness is often confused with gratitude. But they’re not the same. Gratitude is a reflection, a conscious acknowledgment of benefit. Sometimes this can be conceptual or abstract. Goodness is more immediate. It’s the felt sense of savoring what’s pleasant and real. 

It’s the warmth of a morning cuppa. The quiet joy of watching a sunrise. The laughter shared with a friend. The satisfaction of a job completed. These moments don’t require effort or framing. They simply are. And when we let ourselves feel them fully and without rushing, we reconnect with our own basic sanity —not as a measure of mental health, but as the quiet clarity, groundedness, and wholeness that lives beneath the noise.

Chögyam Trungpa writes: 

“We experience glimpses of goodness all the time, but we often fail to acknowledge them. When we see a bright color ... when we hear a beautiful sound ... When we step out of the shower. These events may take a fraction of a second, but they are real experiences of goodness. Discovering real goodness comes from appreciating very simple experiences… the basic goodness of being alive—which does not depend on our accomplishments or fulfilling our desires.”   

 This is the soil of mindful leadership. Not grand gestures, but micro-moments of attunement. 

A Mindful Practice for Leaders 

Here’s a simple framework I offer to leaders who want to cultivate goodness in their leadership which is adapted from Rick Hansen’s work: 

Choose one pleasant or meaningful experience as it occurs and you notice it. It could be as simple as the warmth of tea, a smile from a stranger, or a moment of beauty outdoors. 

1. Notice it. 

Pause and let your awareness settle on the experience. Allow it to register. 

2. Stay with it. 

Linger for 20–30 seconds. Notice how it feels in your body. Let it become richer, fuller. 

3. Let it soak in. 

Imagine the goodness being absorbed into you, like sunlight on skin. Let it become part of your inner world. 

Integrity in Goodness 

Goodness in leadership isn’t soft. It’s strong. It’s the kind of strength that doesn’t need to dominate to be felt. It’s the kind of influence that leaves people better than it found them. It is a type of integrity that remains steady in challenging circumstances.

When leaders choose to regulate their nervous systems, to notice what’s good, and to transmit calm, they create cultures of safety. And safety is the soil where creativity, trust, and resilience grow. 

Further reading:

https://rickhanson.com/take-in-the-good/

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-ground-of-basic-goodness/