816. The Science of Kindness: How Small Actions Create Big Impact
What if kindness isn’t just a personal value but one of the most practical tools we have for improving leadership, workplace culture, relationships, and well-being?
On this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jaclyn Lindsey, Co-Founder and CEO of Kindness.org, a global nonprofit advancing the science of kindness and transforming research into practical solutions for schools, workplaces, and communities. Under Jaclyn’s leadership, Kindness.org has developed evidence-based programs reaching more than 500,000 students worldwide.
Jaclyn shares how both kindness and experiences with bullying shaped her early life and ultimately influenced her mission to better understand the measurable impact of kindness. She explains why kindness should not be confused with being nice, agreeable, or avoiding difficult conversations and why genuine kindness can sometimes require courage, honesty, boundaries, and accountability.
The conversation also explores the ABCs of kindness: kindness is an action, it is intended to benefit another person, and it typically has a cost—whether that cost is time, energy, effort, or resources. Jaclyn explains how this framework helps transform kindness from an abstract idea into an intentional behavior anyone can practice.
🌟 In this episode:
• Why kindness and niceness are not the same thing
• How kindness can become an intentional leadership practice
• The ABCs of kindness and how to turn good intentions into action
• Why responsible kindness sometimes requires boundaries and difficult conversations
• How science and evidence helped Kindness.org make kindness measurable
• How the Kindness Quotient (KQ) can help people strengthen their everyday kindness
• Why small acts can create ripple effects far beyond what we immediately see
• Practical ways to choose kindness in everyday interactions
Jaclyn also challenges listeners to recognize that their individual actions matter. A smile, a thoughtful text, checking in on a neighbor, or acknowledging someone who has positively influenced your life may feel small—but those actions can have an impact you may never fully see.
This conversation is a reminder that positive influence doesn’t require a grand gesture. It starts with intentional choices—and kindness is something every one of us can practice.
🔗 Learn more about Jaclyn Lindsey and Kindness.org:
https://www.facebook.com/kindnessorg
https://www.instagram.com/kindnessorg/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kindnessorg/
https://youtu.be/OBqfKUWaku8?si=SABmQmjMa7EN-vp4
Explore the Kindness Quotient (KQ) and discover practical, research-backed ways to strengthen your kindness.
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