The Most Timeless Leadership Lesson: Just Be Nice
Friday, I visited a successful Dallas-based business, and on the wall was a sign. It read:
“Find a few good customers and surround them with service.”
The next day, I read a sermon by my longtime friend and childhood Rabbi, Rabbi David Whiman, who wrote that if he were to think about the many sermons he’s given in his 46 years as a rabbi, most of them could be summed up in three simple words: Just be nice.
At first, “be nice” sounds almost too simple. But as he explains, kindness isn’t optional, it’s sacred. It’s a daily practice of seeing others, noticing their needs, and acting with compassion. In business, that’s how we build trust and meaningful partnerships.
That sign — “surround them with service” — captured the same truth. The best leaders lead with empathy, invest deeply in relationships, notice the small details, anticipate needs, and show up consistently with care — with their employees, clients and customers.
At Risch Results, one of our four core values is that we are generous and caring. It’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s how we serve our clients, candidates, community, and each other.
What struck me most was not only that I read these messages one day a part, but how these two moments, one in a business setting and one in a spiritual one, carried the same message. Whether we’re at work or at home, with colleagues or with family, the call to “just be nice” is universal. Because being kind isn’t a role we play, it’s who we are when we’re at our best.
Thank you, Rabbi Whiman, for the reminder to “just be nice,” and to the business owner whose wall reminded me that true service begins — and ends — with kindness.