Kindness that Ignores Accountability Isn't Kindness.
It's Chaos.
The best parents are not the nicest ones. They are the clearest ones.
Kids do not feel safe when rules change, consequences are random, and adults cave. They feel safe when boundaries are predictable.
And when parents do not discipline their kids, the kids become chaotic and difficult and eventually no one wants to be around them. That is not kindness. That is neglect.
Workplaces work the same way.
When managers keep rescuing employees from deadlines, policies, and expectations, they are doing the workplace version of letting a child skip homework, ignore bedtime, and eat candy for dinner. It feels nice in the moment. It creates a mess later.
Employees who follow the rules start to feel foolish. Employees who push boundaries learn that they can.
And your best people quietly disengage.
Good parents do not yell or shame, but they also do not negotiate with every bad choice. They say here is the rule, here is the consequence, and here is what happens next time.
That is leadership.
That is HR done right.
People think they want endless flexibility. What they actually want is predictability. When everyone knows the rules and knows they will be enforced fairly, the workplace feels safe.
When rules are bent for the loudest or neediest person, everyone else stops trusting the system.
You do not show love to your kids by letting them do whatever they want.
You show love by giving them structure.
And the same is true for your business.
And if you ever need help finding that balance between being human and being compliant that is literally my job. :)
