Strong Leadership Looks Different Now
Many of us were taught that leadership meant pushing harder, working longer, having all the answers, and powering through at all cost.
But now we need:
Emotional Intelligence | Trust & Humanity | Courage to Change
KindShift is a space to practice that shift
with support, language, and community.
Because the truth is, many of us already lead with care.
With integrity. With courage.
But at what cost?
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The new leadership model can’t depend on your constant effort.
It has to be supported by design, habits, language, systems, and community that make courageous leadership sustainable.
KindShift in Action
These aren't exceptional circumstances. They're the reality of leadership. Here's how KindShift shows up when it matters most.
Leading Through Unexpected Loss
When a team member passed away unexpectedly, a nonprofit director faced the question every leader dreads: How do you support people through grief while keeping operations running?
She arranged grief training for her leadership team and increased her presence on-site. Rather than expecting people to "push through," she created space for the team to process their loss, leading with both humanity and accountability.
The Heavy Week Meeting
After a week of difficult national events, a leader opened her staff meeting differently. Instead of diving straight into the agenda, she said, "This has been a heavy week. Let's take a minute and share how we're feeling."
An employee from Venezuela opened up about his family's fears. Others shared theirs. The team acknowledged the weight they were carrying before getting to work, building trust instead of pretending everything was fine.
The Client Expectation Conversation
A training consultant's client wanted to dive into work that wasn't scheduled yet. Her usual pattern was to get nervous, talk fast, and scramble to make the client happy, even when it derailed priorities. This time, she used the Center practice to notice the trigger, then calmly explained the timeline.
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She maintained both the relationship and the project boundaries without apologizing for doing her job well.
What You Get
Stop dreading the conversations you know you need to have.
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You've been putting off that performance conversation for two weeks.
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You've drafted the email four times and still haven't sent it.
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You lie awake at 3am rehearsing what you'll say, and worrying about how it'll land.
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By week 3, you'll have a framework that works.
Reclaim 5-10 hours per week lost to workplace friction
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You spend more time managing around problems than solving them: smoothing tensions, decoding feedback, rehashing what didn't land right.
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By week 1, you'll have tools to reduce the friction.
Join the Movement
Not sure where to start?
Choose the path that matches where you are right now:
Explore the Cohort
Best if: You're ready to lead differently
Go deeper with a community of leaders.
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KindShift Circle is our leadership cohort - where you build sustainable practices with peers who get it.
Facilitator-led sessions, community support, and the tools to make courageous kindness your default. Next cohort starts in March 2026
I'm Deb Mitchell.
KindShift is my heart work.
Courageous Kindness in Leadership
This isn't just about leadership development, it's about a shift, a KindShift, in the way you show up in every area of your life.
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Think back to a moment when someone showed you kindness, compassion, or empathy.
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Like me, you probably still carry those moments. They shape how we see ourselves, how we lead, and how we connect with others.
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For me, leaning into kindness didn't just make me a stronger, more effective leader, it made me a better partner, friend, and human. But I've also seen what happens when kindness is absent: toxic leaders, broken trust, and teams stuck in survival instead of growth.
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That's why I created KindShift, to redefine leadership for today's world.
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Backed by mindfulness training, business leadership expertise, and research, KindShift is both a method and a movement.
It's how we move from burnout and friction to resilience, innovation, and thriving teams.
Deb Mitchell
Creator of KindShift
Founder, Inspired Consulting Solutions
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