Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
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Join Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he sits down with experts in the field to discuss real-world challenges. How do I send my message clearly when put on the spot? How do I write emails to get my point across? How can I easily convey complex information? How do I manage my reputation? Whether you’re giving a toast or presenting in a meeting, communication is critical to success in business and in life.Think Fast, Talk Smart provides the tools, techniques, and best practices to help you communicate more effectively.

256. Be Kind: The Most Overlooked Driver of Success

January 15, 2026 0:22:03 4.16 MB ( 17.02 MB less) Downloads: 0

Why being kind is the best investment.


Can kindness be a company’s competitive advantage? Bonnie Hayden Cheng says yes — and she’s got a business metric to prove it: return on kindness.

Cheng is a professor of management at City University of Hong Kong who researches how workplace behaviors affect interpersonal dynamics and well-being. In her book, The Return on Kindness, she explores how organizations that foster a culture of kindness see a measurable ROK — one marked by a more committed, more productive, and less expensive workforce. “Organizations that have this kind of culture around acts of civic virtue, helping, or showing support for people, those end up having employees that want to stay, are less likely to call in sick, are more committed, their performance goes up,” she says. “There's also benefits for the company in terms of higher productivity and efficiency, and even lower costs.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Cheng and host Matt Abrahams explore how to build cultures of kindness — from Cheng’s RISE framework for kind leadership to why candor and compassion go hand-in-hand. Whether you're leading a team or simply trying to show up better for your colleagues, Cheng offers a compelling case for measuring what really matters: the return on kindness.

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Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (00:50) - What Is Kind Leadership?
  • (02:52) - The RISE Framework
  • (05:27) - Everyone Can Be a Leader
  • (06:46) - Kindness vs. Niceness
  • (09:15) - Kindness and Candor
  • (10:47) - Communicating Kindness
  • (12:46) - The Power of Tone and Pause
  • (15:03) - Building a Culture of Kindness
  • (17:15) - Protecting Kindness in Organizations
  • (18:33) - The Final Three Questions
  • (21:14) - Conclusion
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