A Fresh Perspective on Business
Jul 24, 2026 · 57 min · 12 segments
In this episode of Fresh Perspective on Business, we explore why kindness isn't just a nice-to-have in leadership - it's a genuine competitive advantage. Vicky Taylor, Operations Manager at Fresh…
Esther StampGuest
Vicky TaylorHost
So I think somewhere along the way businesses developed this idea that being tough ruthless or aggressive was the fastest route to success celebrating hustle competitiveness and winning at all costs and sometimes it almost feels as though kindness and commercial success are seen as opposites but from my experience some of the best leaders aren't necessarily the loudest people in the room we do see that at fresh here so why do you think so many people still associate strength with aggression and do you think we've confused toughness with effective leadership
I think historically it's been like that, hasn't it? Even, I know even when I started working, the kind of leaders that were put in place were all very aggressive.
And I think with businesses, when they're trying to get business, you know, they're trying to be the best in the country or the city or whatever, they will imply people that just go for it.
I think really until very recently, if you could get the business in, you often then
got given a management role, but I just think they're two very, very different things, being able to manage people and being able to get new business in, for instance.
I think... pretty much after covid that massive massive shift was from you know everybody working from home coming back in the office all of that it did bring about a culture change a bit more um i think sometimes not for good reasons no
What are we going to do going forward? And I think there has been a good shift in values in companies.
a lot of the candidates will ask me, well, what are your company values? And I don't think I would have ever thought to ask that question 20 years ago.
But there are different skills, aren't there? Being your top kind of new business lead doesn't make you a good manager of people.
So I think somewhere along the way businesses developed this idea that being tough ruthless or aggressive was the fastest route to success celebrating hustle competitiveness and winning at all costs and sometimes it almost feels as though kindness and commercial success are seen as opposites but from my experience some of the best leaders aren't necessarily the loudest people in the room we do see that at fresh here so why do you think so many people still associate strength with aggression and do you think we've confused toughness with effective leadership
I think historically it's been like that, hasn't it? Even, I know even when I started working, the kind of leaders that were put in place were all very aggressive.
And I think with businesses, when they're trying to get business, you know, they're trying to be the best in the country or the city or whatever, they will imply people that just go for it.
I think really until very recently, if you could get the business in, you often then
got given a management role, but I just think they're two very, very different things, being able to manage people and being able to get new business in, for instance.
I think... pretty much after covid that massive massive shift was from you know everybody working from home coming back in the office all of that it did bring about a culture change a bit more um i think sometimes not for good reasons no
What are we going to do going forward? And I think there has been a good shift in values in companies.
a lot of the candidates will ask me, well, what are your company values? And I don't think I would have ever thought to ask that question 20 years ago.
But there are different skills, aren't there? Being your top kind of new business lead doesn't make you a good manager of people.
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