10 Acts of Kindness Remarkable People Perform Each Day Individuals that others look up to are always thinking of others and looking for ways to positively influence and contribute.
By Sherrie Campbell Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It doesn't take a lot of effort to dramatically change another person's day. Remarkable people are always thinking of others and looking for ways to positively influence and contribute.
Making a difference is an organic urge in exceptional people. If you want to make a real difference in the lives of your family members, friends, employees, colleagues and strangers, as well as your own life, these 10 simple acts of kindness that are performed by remarkable people will make an impact.
1. Be empathic when you share your thoughts.
When you share your thoughts, always take the other person into consideration. Give evidence to support your statement and decisions. This shows you are coming from a place of empathy drawn from your real-world experience.
Empathy wipes out the attitude of having a position of authority as you share your thoughts. With empathy, communication flows from person to person, not from an authority to a subordinate. A sense of authority may make you right, but empathy makes everyone right and pulls people together. Empathy is the sign of someone who is remarkable.
Related: Your Words Have Impact, So Think Before You Speak
2. Show humility.
Remarkable people admit when they're wrong. It is easy to feel terrified or stupid when you are wrong as you falsely assume others may lose respect for you, but when you admit wrong you do just the opposite. The respect others have for you increases greatly. It tells people that you are authentic.
No matter who you are or what your title is, no one is correct all the time. Exceptional people understand that being wrong is one of the greatest lessons of all. Through being wrong you learn what not to do. Humility is a marker of exceptional character.
3. Acknowledge others.
No one gets enough praise. In fact, the majority of people feel underappreciated. At any time during the day remarkable people find someone who has done or is doing something well and will acknowledge them. Remarkable people never forget the good actions of others and have no problem reminding someone of something great they did. Actions can be celebrated regardless of when they happened.
4. Show gratitude.
Remarkable people live with an attitude of gratitude and make it a point to say "thank you" and "you're welcome" to others. The exceptional always acknowledge when someone does something kind for them. They live with a grateful spirit and see the gifts in the small and big things that happen during a day. These types of people do not let acknowledgements be all about them.
5. Ask for help.
All people need help, regardless of how smart, skilled or talented they may be. Remarkable people seek help regardless of the type of help they need or who they need to get the help from. Asking for help is never below them.
When you ask for help you show your humanity. You show you are not invulnerable and have no need to pretend you know it all. This subtle act makes others more comfortable in their own vulnerabilities. When you ask for help, you will get it and in the process you show your humility, respect and willingness to listen to others. All of these qualities are markers of a highly remarkable person.
6. Apologize whenever necessary.
Remarkable people are a product of their mistakes and what they have learned from them. You are going to make mistakes, therefore, you should have things to apologize for. When you can acknowledge your mistakes and can say "I'm sorry," you start to heal what was broken and are able to make the necessary changes to do better going forward and rebuild trust.
Any time there is an apology, there is a fresh start.
Related: The 11 Questions Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Ask Themselves
7. Ask for advice.
Exceptional people consistently seek the advice of others. If you don't know what to do in a situation, make it a point to ask for advice. When you ask to be shown what to do you implicitly show respect to the person you are seeking advice from. You show that you trust their experience, skill, knowledge and insight and that you value their opinions and expertise to help you.
There may be times that you need more than input. There may be situation where you will need to be taught, trained or directly shown how to accomplish something. When you ask advice you automatically create a collaborative relationship. Remarkable people know advice is temporary but knowledge is forever.
8. Offer help.
Sadly, many people view asking for help as a sign of weakness or a lack of skill or knowledge. We can get so caught up in protecting ourselves from looking bad that we hesitate to ask for the help we need.
Exceptional people do not wait for someone to ask for help. They are perceptive and can see and often predict when they need to offer someone assistance. When offering help, make sure to ask in a way that has kindness attached to it, so that your offers feel collaborative and not condescending to the recipient.
9. Be loving.
Yes, you can be loving at work. Show your kindness, loyalty and support to those you work with. There is no way to lose any ground by being loving. Being kind only makes you a pushover if it is done to please and manipulate. Being kind should not have an agenda attached to it, only your heart and genuineness. When you feel really great about someone, tell them.
10. Know when to do nothing.
Remarkable people know there are times when the best thing to do or say is nothing. When you are upset, frustrated or angry, stay silent. You may feel venting will make you feel better, but it never does because you may end up regretting the things you say and do. This is especially true where your co-workers are concerned.
In life, results come and go but feelings are forever. If you publicly criticize another person, it may seem he or she will eventually get over it, but inside never do. Impeccable self-management skills are necessary to be a remarkable person. In a world that has largely become self-centered, mean, egotistical and greedy, we need more people who live on the side of caring deeply about the well-being, happiness and success of others.
Related: Want to Motivate Your Successors? Play 'Follow the Leader,' Not 'Simon Says.'
