Be Human, Be Kind: Why This Is the First Core Value

When I sat down to define the core values of LIWMI, I started with the most important one first: Be Human, Be Kind.

Not because it is the most impressive. Not because it makes the best headline. Because it is the foundation. Without it, nothing else works.

Here is what I mean. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if you treat people poorly, they will not follow you. You can grind harder than anyone, but if you are not kind, you will build something hollow. You can hit every revenue target, but if you burned relationships to get there, what have you actually built?

Kindness is not soft. It is one of the most strategic things you can do. People remember how you made them feel long after they have forgotten what you said or what you achieved. The person who treats the janitor the same way they treat the CEO is the person people want to work for, buy from, and build with.

Be human first. Before the entrepreneur. Before the podcast host. Before the CEO. Be a human being who gives a damn about other human beings.

That is where everything starts.