Kind Eye

“I look with a kind eye at people.”

This line from tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou (Serena Williams’ former coach) in Nick Kyrgios’ “Good Trouble” YouTube series struck a chord with me.

Patrick said he always looks for the positives in players. Commentators and the peanut gallery is quick to judge and point out flaws and what they need to improve, rather than looking for the positives.

It made me realize I’ve always been someone who looks at people with a kind eye as well. Friends, family, coworkers, everyone.

But it also made me realize that as a manager, the clashes I had with leadership and a company’s culture stemmed from it being a place where they don’t have a kind eye. They take a critical eye to everything and everyone.

This was in especially sharp relief when doing performance reviews for my team. I would always bring their strengths to the conversation, while my peers and leadership would only see weaknesses.

These interactions made me doubt myself. “Am I not looking with a critical enough eye at my team? Am I deluding myself about this person’s abilities?”

But watching this interview made me realize not having a “kind eye” isn’t a liability; it’s a strength. If it worked for Serena’s coach to lift her to 23 grand slams, then it can work for me.