Leaders.com
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
  • Master Classes
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Executives
    • Marketing and Sales
    • Social Media
    • Innovation
    • Women in Business
  • Leadership
    • Personal Growth
    • Company Culture
    • Public Speaking
    • Productivity
    • Hiring
    • Social Issues
    • Leaders
  • Wealth
    • Investing
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Retirement
    • Venture Capital
    • Loans and Borrowing
    • Taxes
    • Markets
    • Real Estate
  • Master Classes
Leadership Personal

Business can be very personal (Photo by Carsten Koall/picture alliance via Getty Images)

By Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel is a news writer for Leaders Media. He was the Fall 2021 College Fix Fellow and Health Care...

Full bio


Learn about our editorial policy

Jan 23, 2023

Business Can Be Very Personal 

Leading a business with a personal touch can help save a company’s culture from cruelty and unnecessary pressures. 

Key Details

  • Donda Mullis is the founder and CMO of Raw Sugar, and she dislikes the phrase “business is not personal.”
  • “When I launched Raw Sugar Living in 2014 it became as clear as ever that business was, in fact, very personal,” she says. 
  • In a recent piece for Fast Company, she encourages leaders to take a more personal approach to management—connecting with employees more closely, building relationships, and developing a healthy company culture where problems can be safely and openly addressed. 

Why It’s Important 

Radical candor can be a very powerful concept for people in leadership positions, showing empathy and understanding for the effort and challenges an employee faces while being frank about their mistakes and failures. It can also be very difficult, as evidenced by the number of people who speak of terrible experiences and treatment from their bosses. It is very common, as Mullis notes, for workers to be treated like robots rather than humans.  

In an age where quiet quitting and the “great resignation” continue to haunt companies struggling with hiring, addressing people as people is more important than ever. 

“To treat the staff as humans, you have to be human, too. I am an open book, a confidante, a mentor, and a coach—I rally with the team. I lead by example and courageously show my vulnerabilities—both personally and professionally. Doing so, in turn, allows others to express themselves more freely, resulting in more confidence in their work,” says Mullis. 

Possible Solutions 

Mullis encourages outreach to employees on a personal level, bringing employees together to build camaraderie and friendship, building a healthy working environment where challenges can be addressed safely and comfortably, leading by example and acting with courtesy and praise, and leading with transparency even in a volatile environment where personal decisions need to be made. 

“We’re all in this together, we need to treat people like people inside and outside of the office walls,” says Mullis.  

Home / News / Business Can Be Very Personal 
Share
FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Related Stories

Parent’s Wealth Tip The Scales In SAT Scores and College Admissions

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Wealth

Oct 25, 2023

Parent's wealth tips the scales for SAT numbers

New data shows a strong correlation between family income and SAT scores, indicating the exam may act as a “wealth test” that advantages higher-income students.

Key Details

  • Students from wealthier families tend to score higher on the SAT than lower-income peers due to advantages like well-funded schools, tutors, and extracurricular activities.
  • The pandemic has exacerbated SAT score disparities, with average scores dropping the most among disadvantaged groups.
  • Addressing the gap requires increased funding for lower-income school districts and expanding access to test prep resources.
  • Children from the top 1% of families are twice as likely to attend an Ivy-Plus college (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and Chicago) compared to middle-class families with similar SAT/ACT scores.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Layoffs Continue Across Auto, Tech, Media, and More Industries

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Business

Oct 18, 2023

job losses

Major companies across various industries announced significant job cuts as economic conditions continue to pressure businesses.

Key Details

  • LinkedIn, Rolls-Royce, Stack Overflow, Qualcomm, PNC Bank, and others have announced layoffs impacting thousands of employees.
  • Several notable tech companies and startups, including Meta, Uber, and Airtable, are reducing headcounts by up to 27%.
  • The Washington Post plans to offer buyouts to 240 employees due to slow subscription growth.
  • Automakers like Ford and GM have cut over 1,000 jobs as the auto industry faces ongoing issues.
  • Major financial services companies, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley, are eliminating thousands of positions.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Trump Taps Jim Jordan As Speaker Pick

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Public Policy

Oct 6, 2023

Trump Taps Jim Jordan As Speaker Pick

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to become the next Speaker of the House after Kevin McCarthy failed to secure enough votes for the role.

Key Details

  • Trump backed Jordan in a post on Truth Social just after midnight Friday, calling him "a STAR" and "a GREAT Speaker."
  • The endorsement came after Trump said he'd consider serving as speaker for a short time if needed.
  • Jordan, a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, has support from some McCarthy allies and Republican hardliners.
  • The speaker vote could happen Wednesday if the House GOP ends their civil war. Trump may visit Tuesday to unify Republicans.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn
Personal Growth

Sep 1, 2023

Jordan Peterson Explains Why Stoicism Is Popular 

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff
Public Policy

Sep 1, 2023

Is Mitch McConnell Too Old And Sick To Lead? 

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff
Leaders/Stories

Aug 30, 2023

Leadership Regrets From a Man Who Fired 900 Employees At Once

by Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Recent Articles

Hiring

Nov 1, 2023

Learn the Winning Answers to the Most Common Phone Interview Questions

Come to your next phone interview fully prepared

Personal Growth

Oct 30, 2023

85 Quotes on Self-Love to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Don’t fall into the trap of harsh self-criticism

Company Culture

Oct 27, 2023

What is a Sabbatical? Your Ticket to Restful Growth and Meaning

Sabbaticals can benefits both employees and businesses

  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
Join the Leaders Community

Get exclusive tools and resources you need to grow as a leader and scale a purpose-driven business.

Subscribing indicates your consent to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Leaders.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Careers
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Member Login

© 2025 Leaders.com - All rights reserved.

Search Leaders.com