A look into why kindness belongs in leadership, and the human cost of leaving it out

Kindness is often dismissed in the workplace. It is seen as soft, naive, even weak. But what if it's the actual missing link in leadership, culture, and the emotional health of teams?

A Cup of Kindness invites readers into a reflective, sometimes raw, and always real exploration of what happens when kindness is present, and what unfolds when it is not. Drawn on lived experience, coaching insight, observed intelligence, and organizational reality, this book makes a powerful case for reclaiming kindness as a leadership strength.

With stories that cut across race, gender, faith, ambition, and emotional labour, it explores kindness with raw honesty. Through accessible language and honest reflection, it unpacks everyday interactions from how we communicate, set boundaries, and navigate ego or exhaustion.

A Cup of Kindness doesn't offer quick fixes, but honesty, perspective, and pause we all need.

About the Author

Anita Stephen

Owing to circumstances out of her control, Anita Stephen found herself less conventional in how she’s approached her work life. From very early on, work experiences that were either difficult or encouraging impacted her deeply, and formed her ideas on the kind of leaders she wanted to work for and the ones she wanted to steer away from. Her experience spans different industries, from legal practice to teaching English, setting up businesses or leading new units, training, and coaching.

The loss of her mum many years ago showed her the need for a workplace to embrace her as a whole – as a grieving person. The more recent loss of her dad has made her more focused on the things that really matter in the workplace, and in our lives. Adding to this, a chronic illness that requires ongoing management has shaped her awareness of what makes work sustainable. Anita has managed to thrive in workplaces where leaders were kind and collegiality was encouraged.

Kindness, or the lack of it at the workplace, has been a theme that has captured Anita’s attention. Her love for the work that she does, coupled with her enjoyment of people, has made her want to push the boundaries of kindness in the workplace.