If kindness was a human, Nancy Kisa says, it would be her bosses who, at the lowest moment in her career, did what is largely considered outlandish in Kenya’s corporate scene.
In October 2022, when the media consultant was overwhelmed by changes in the workplace and was on the verge of a mental breakdown, she told her bosses she needed to be away for an extended period until she found her balance.
They did not try to dissuade her or threaten her with job loss like it happens in many other workplaces. Instead, they allowed her to stay six months away from work and paid her salary in full.
After years of advocating mental well-being in the workplace, a new crop of managers, such as Nancy’s, is beginning to emerge. They are not driven by the relentless pursuit of profit and productivity. Instead, they weave the fabric of compassion, understanding, and humanity into the workplace’s very heart, and their businesses reap all the benefits.
Such leaders choose to tread a path less taken, a path that acknowledges the invisible threads connecting mental well-being to success, both personal and professional.
They understand that behind every email, every report, and every project deadline is a human being with dreams, fears, and the need for understanding.
I feel valued
Nancy says she is indebted to them, and since returning to work in January last year, she has redoubled her effort because “I feel valued”.
Before this affirmation event, Nancy, who had decades of experience, had been charged with training and supervising a young team to improve productivity.
“I dedicated more hours to work to improve them. A year of trying to make them thrive in the field became futile as I kept hitting a wall every minute. I had to spoon-feed everyone under my watch,” she says.
When it became so bad that she was sick, she decided she had had enough and went to see her boss to explain her situation.
“I had worked there for 10 years, so she knew my potential. She was kind, listened empathetically, and asked if I wanted to change departments. I said I just wanted to leave for a while and didn’t know when I’d return. She requested I take my annual leave, but I still declined because, after a month, I would be expected back, yet I was not sure if I’d be okay by then,” she recalls.
However, her boss told her that whatever decision she made, they would support her. The directors were looped, and Nancy was asked how long she needed to be okay.
“I said I needed six months. They asked if I had enough money to sustain me. I said no, but I just needed to go. My immediate boss and the company’s CEO sat me down and told me to return when I was okay and that my position would still be there. I left and took the needed break, and guess what? They still paid me when I was away.”
Besides keeping her on the payroll, Nancy’s bosses checked on her every other week to find out how she was fairing.
When Nancy resumed work, it was to a better working environment.
“While I was away, they never even mentioned to anyone why I had left or even discussed my issue. To date, my colleagues don’t know why I left,” says Nancy.
Brian Mwangi, a supervisor at a manufacturing factory, also fondly remembers the time his boss granted him leave to care for his sick mother, even though a significant amount of work was pending.
“I had just resumed from a week-long business trip and had a bunch of work piled on my desk to finish. My mom was admitted to the hospital the day I arrived, and that was two hours from where I live, so I could not see her,” he says.
Best boss I ever had
Brian’s mother was going through one of her last battles against cancer, and it was quite a tough time for him.
“My boss saw that I wasn’t too focused and asked me what was wrong. He said, ‘When my dad died, I shut down the whole factory for a day. Your mom isn’t less valuable than my dad. Go and spend as much time as you need with her. Work can wait.” Mr Mwangi describes the boss as the best he ever had.
In a similar vein of compassionate leadership, Juvenal Araka, an analytical strategist, felt the warmth of his employer in 2020 when the world was gradually recovering from the chaos unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to move houses. I found one that I loved but was a bit pricey and in demand. I gave up on it, though I told my boss (Emma), who I work closely with, about the house,” he narrates.
Listening ear and kind heart
Juvenal even painted a mental picture of how lovely the house was.
“She shrugged it off and said something to the effect of, ‘There are plenty of houses around.’ Two days later, she laid a brown envelope on my table. She was like, ‘That’s a gift.’ On opening, it contained Sh150,000. She then told me, ‘You have always believed in what the company does and give it your all. You can also get the house you long for,” he recalls.
Having worked there for four years, Emma’s benevolent gesture turned things around for Juvenal. He says, “I could not believe that there are bosses out there who have that listening ear and kind heart.”
