Founder: Flight Group. Thirdweb, The Diary Of A CEO.
This is why your smallest interactions are actually your biggest. Your actions are your "invisible PR" working for or against you at any given time. Let me explain... We all have bad days, moody days and we don't know what someone is going through - but being kind can quite literally change the trajectory of your life. It will subtly nudge you in a different direction through favours, promotions and other types of recognition. Being un-kind is a tax on your talent - it will weigh down your potential. None of us imperfect human beings are going to be able to achieve perfect kindness at all times, including me. However, if we all understand the value of it, to ourselves and others, hopefully we can try a little harder, every day, online and offline, to be a little kinder. And the legend that is Usain Bolt in the video below proves exactly how powerful your "invisible PR" is. This is how you make it work FOR you and not against you 👏🏽 Video via Daniel Abrahams.
Wah gwaan, as a fellow Jamaican we value manners/broughtupsy. In other cultures, this value can be misconstrued to kindness. Whichever way you see it, always acknowledge everyone in the "room".
Had the privilege to escort Usain through Gatwick Airport when he arrived for 2012. He's an absolute legend. after a 9 hour flight in first or business, he was one of the first off the plane, and we were waiting to escort him so he didn't have to wait anywhere. He insisted on hanging out in the arrivals walkway in case any of his fellow passengers wanted a selfie (It was a Kingston flight, EVERY passenger wanted a selfie!) Then in Baggage reclaim, he was happy to chat and do selfies with anyone that walked up. I kinda felt sorry for his team mates that were with him, hardly anyone recognised them, but he got them over for a few selfies of the whole team with fans. This was in 2012 of course, when selfies was fairly new. He was a complete gent with everyone and real fun to chat to. Although, my favourite part of the whole thing was that the airline didn't tell us he was on board until about 2 hours before landing and no-one from the hand picked team of colleagues from my Dept who were supposed to do all Olympian Meet & Greets was on shift. They were so put out that the Black Sheep of the dept (me) was the one to do the highest profile Meet and Greet of the whole Olympics...
Seen these clips posted lots over the years and there is absolutely no doubt that Bolt has had a huge positive impact on these individuals’ days through that little interaction and appreciation, but something I’ve never seen any commentary on is the impact it has on Bolt himself. In a sport where 1/100ths of a second can mean the difference between the glory of 1st place and the heartbreak of 4th how much do these little acts improve performance? Doing good deeds has been proven to boost dopamine and serotonin levels. When you smile you release endorphins which help to relax your body, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and are a natural pain reliever. All these things when you’re dealing in microseconds must surely have given Bolt a small percentage uplift in performance. The upshot being that acts of kindness can result in big differences not just for the receiver but the giver as well.
Too bad more famous people and celebrities don't understand what being kind means and how they could benefit from it. Way to many think it is all about them. They are narcissistic and are way too focused on their own greatness. They could learn a lot from this clip.
Be kind because it makes *someone else's* life a little bit better (sometimes a lot better), not because it's good for *your* PR. No? A good post but I am not sure I'm with you on the *motives* for being kind. Maybe you are being a realist but I don't think that kindness should be motivated as a selfish act, even if being kind does often lead to material benefits.
Love this highlight video! Beyond this example of PR, hoping that this is how we connect to our broader community to make it stronger. We will surely place the most attention to and acknowledge those closest to us (family, friends, coworkers,) but these additional smaller acknowledgements in our day to day to all the others around us are impactful in ways we don’t fully appreciate.
What's really inspiring is that just through a simple 'pist pump' (what my daughter used to say when she was 3 yrs old 😄) and a mere smile, he not only acknowledges those officials, but also uplifts them and brings light to their day. You can see the effects of this after the interaction, the officials are glowing with smiles and positivity because they know the whole world is watching and so does he. So the acknowledgement he gives is done both with purpose and to say thank you to them on a global stage. Truly inspirational.
Thank you, Steven Bartlett for taking the time to share your thoughts on this and post the video. From a systemic perspective, watching that clip of Bolt I am reminded of the ripple effects in our lives. As you said it is an interaction with two people doing something together. They create this moment together. In a diagram the arrow from Bolt to the child/young person might be larger, but as some have commented already, Bolt is also influenced by the interaction even if he seemingly instigated it. Then there is the influence back on the child or young person Bolt had that kind moment with, but Bolt walks away having been influenced by the interaction himself too. Both have changed and are no longer the same as before (however short or long this lasts). Their future actions and INTERactions with others are influenced by that moment they socially constructed. Now, here I am watching a collection of those special moments which had moved you to post, me to read and watch, and respond. The power of ripple effects... Thank you Steven Bartlett for posting and Barbara Robinson to repost. I feel lucky (some might call it "blessed"), to have seen this waking up this morning. Thank you for influencing my interactions going forward.
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3wActually, I look at this as, your greatest inspirer is usually the one who is the most inspired by you. What Bolt is doing is getting motivation from the unlikeliest of places, in the most pressure-bound time. This also helps him relax a little. For me, when you feel under the most pressure, take a break and speak to an unknown individual. The groundedness of the conversation will make things a little lighter, and allow you to move with ease.