In the wake of increasing geopolitical disruption, economic volatility, and widespread organisational instability, leadership has emerged once more as a defining factor for sustainable success. Yet, paradoxically, it is also where many institutions falter. In response to this pervasive challenge, the Global Kindness Institute has formally launched with a mission to transform how the world understands, practices, and measures leadership.
Founded by Mark Doughty, a seasoned leadership expert who left a prior executive role after witnessing an unkind act in the workplace, the Global Kindness Institute was conceived from a pivotal personal moment and a transformative relationship that spurred a global initiative. What began as a private reflection quickly evolved into a public commitment: to build a new, evidence-informed leadership standard where kindness is not merely encouraged, but positioned as a strategic and measurable leadership advantage.
At its core,supporting this mission is a global Collaboration & Advisory Board composed of thought leaders and senior executives who have influenced some of the world’s top-performing organisations. Further elevating its impact is the support of a globally recognised patron who is known for their advocacy of kindness as a strategic lever in high-stakes environments. Together, these alliances reinforce the Institute’s credibility and extend its reach across industries and regions.
Central to the Institute’s philosophy is its guiding model.
For decades, leadership development has been driven by metrics such as IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotional Quotient). While both remain important, Mark and the team believe they are no longer sufficient for today’s increasingly complex leadership demands. Instead, there is a critical third dimension, the Kindness Quotient (KQ), the multiplier that fuses cognitive sharpness and emotional intelligence with strategic empathy, clarity, and courageous execution.
KQ is a leadership imperative that delivers tangible business outcomes. Powered by the Institute’s KINDset™ diagnostic, KINDset™ evaluates a leader’s ability to integrate trust with performance, credibility with results, and purpose with decisive action. Through this lens, leaders then gain the tools to unlock higher levels of team engagement, customer loyalty, and organisational resilience.
One of the most valuable aspects of the KINDset™ process is that it provides a genuine measure of leadership. Leaders gain crucial insight into whether those colleagues currently working around them would willingly and happily choose to work with them again in the future. This feedback alone speaks volumes, not just about a leader’s effectiveness, but more directly about their ability to build trust, respect, and lasting results.
“Kindness in leadership isn’t just a virtue. It’s a deliberate strategy,” said Mark.
“When used as a guiding principle, Kindness ignites bold action, sharp execution, and human-centred impact. However, don’t be mistaken. Kindness in leadership is a tough gig, it is not rooted in theory, it’s directly driven and aligned to a leader’s behaviour so it is not for the faint hearted or self-serving leader. Yet if done well, kindness in leadership creates environments where people thrive and where business delivers.”
Through its advisory services, executive coaching, and corporate training programs, the Global Kindness Institute partners with leadership teams across sectors to embed KQ into their operational DNA. The Institute aims to become the leadership development partner of choice for companies seeking sustainable, human-centered growth. By focusing on KQ, it responds directly to a growing body of research that links trust-based leadership with improved innovation, lower attrition, and higher profitability. Unlike many traditional leadership frameworks, the KQ model does not trade results for empathy; instead, it treats kindness as a catalyst for performance.
The urgency of this mission is clear.
Around the world, institutions of all sizes report declining trust in leadership, rising burnout, and widespread disengagement. The latest research from Gallup (2025) shows global employee engagement has declined to 21% equal to $438b in lost productivity worldwide. Engagement if unlocked could add up to $9.6 trillion in productivity or 9% of global GDP.
Cultures have become transactional, strategic direction often lacks moral clarity, and execution is frequently disconnected from purpose. The Global Kindness Institute argues that addressing these systemic problems requires a radical shift, not in what leaders are told to do, but in how they are taught to think and who they are encouraged to become.
By introducing KQ, the Institute does not aim to replace existing models but to augment them with a missing variable that reflects the realities of modern work. It acknowledges that leadership today demands more than intellect and empathy, it demands courage, results, and consistent human-centered action.
As part of its broader mission, the Institute will continue developing content, certifications, alliances and strategic partnerships that extend the reach and applicability of KQ across both the private and public sectors. With early interest already surfacing among global corporations and leadership associations, the Global Kindness Institute signals the beginning of a new conversation, one where kindness is not only valued but rigorously applied as a principle of high-performance leadership.
For more information, visit the Global Kindness Institute or connect with founder Mark Doughty on LinkedIn.