“Would you like a hug?”
It’s not something you typically say to a stranger at a leadership event.
But in that moment, it felt like exactly the right thing to do.
The woman standing next to me had tears in her eyes as an entire room of leaders applauded in support of her.
And just like that, a small moment of kindness connected two strangers.
While I was in Australia recently, I was invited to attend The Inaugural Women Leaders by The Circle IWD Cocktail Reception, organized by Tanya Oziel.
The room was filled with accomplished women from across business, government, and community leadership.
Among them were two particularly well-known Australian leaders.
Gladys Berejiklian served as the 45th Premier of New South Wales, one of Australia’s largest states. She is widely recognized for her steady leadership during crises and for breaking barriers as the first woman elected to the role.
Christine Holgate is a prominent Australian business leader who previously served as CEO of Australia Post and now chairs Team Global Express. She is known for leading major organizational transformations and for advocating strongly for women in leadership.
Both spoke during the evening.
One comment from Gladys stayed with me.
She shared that throughout her career, one of the principles that has guided her is bringing kindness into the workplace. She spoke about the power of reaching out to people with kind words and small gestures of support.
It was a simple message. But a powerful one.
A few minutes later, Christine brought that message to life.
She acknowledged that someone in the audience was going through a difficult time and asked the room to show their support.
The woman she was referring to was standing right next to me.
The applause spread across the room, surrounding her with encouragement and care. I could see how much that moment meant to her.
Kindness creates a ripple effect.
Gladys spoke about kindness.
Christine acted on it by acknowledging someone who needed support.
The room responded with applause.
And then another small moment followed.
I asked if I could give her a hug.
She accepted, and we spoke briefly. Two strangers sharing a moment of human connection.
None of us can solve every challenge someone else is facing.
But we can create moments where people feel seen.
In leadership we often talk about strategy, results, and performance.
Those things matter.
But the culture of a team, an organization, or even a community is built through something much simpler.
How we treat one another in small moments.
A kind word.
A gesture of support.
The willingness to notice when someone is struggling.
These moments travel farther than we realize.
One person models kindness.
Another amplifies it.
And suddenly an entire room becomes part of that ripple.
Leadership is not only about the decisions we make.
It is also about the humanity we bring into the room.
And sometimes leadership looks as simple as asking a stranger:
“Would you like a hug?”
