Rachel's Story - An Unkind Act
posted 10th March 2025
Written By Mark Doughty
On August 7, 2024, I faced one of the hardest decisions of my career: terminating the contract of an employee, named Rachel*—someone I had only known for seven weeks.
The conversation took place over Teams, making an already difficult situation even harder. I reminded myself it was "just business," but the decision weighed heavily on me. Later that day, I called Rachel to check in on her to see if she was OK and offered to take her to lunch after I returned from holiday to say a proper goodbye. The very next day, I left with my family on our holiday.
Regrettably, later that evening, Rachel collapsed at home due to a blood clot on her brain. Within 48 hours, she underwent a partial craniotomy—50% of her skull had to be removed. She had suffered a stroke, losing all functionality on the right side of her body, some vision and the ability to speak, read or write.
After returning from my holiday, I reached out to Rachel about the lunch idea, but, as of course received no response. For many days, I remained unaware of Rachel’s condition, my manager had omitted to inform me and so when I was finally told, the details were so vague and incomplete, prompting me to contact Rachel’s partner Keiran directly.
Keiran then shared the full story with me including when in an overwhelming time of stress of Rachel’s situation, he had with good intent tried to reach out to HR to return Rachel’s work computer and pass, outlining the circumstances of the request only to be informed that his request was “too junior” for the senior HR leader he had contacted and so was advised to find someone else to liaise with.
I was left utterly speechless.
I then asked Keiran if I could visit Rachel and spend time by her bedside. Two days later I was by her bedside. As you can imagine Rachel’s condition was heartbreaking—unable to speak, walk, or use the right side of her body. A young mother of four. It felt a totally helpless situation. Yet, at that first meeting I made Rachel a promise: that when she was well enough, we would all go to lunch, just as I had originally proposed.
Over the past seven months, as many of you who follow me or have read my posts will know, kindness has taken on an even deeper meaning in my life.
At the same time, I’ve visited Rachel every three to four weeks, offering support in her recovery wherever possible. Her journey has been unimaginably tough. She lost her London home, her car, and the life she once knew. Her four children now live 200 miles away in the north of England with their father (and Rachel’s ex-husband). Without Kerian’s unwavering presence, she would be profoundly isolated. Rachel continues to recover—still unable to talk, read, or use her right arm. And just three weeks ago, she underwent a second cranial operation to reconstruct her skull with a PEEK plate.
What though has made this situation even more painful was the employer's response. Sadly, they did nothing —not even sending Rachel a card or flowers. When I asked my manager why, the explanation was a simple one, “Rachel was no longer an employee.”
I challenged this, pointing out that she still had a month’s notice on the day of her accident and was very much still connected to the company. Yet, it seemed the company had lost its moral compass.
But as you know reading this, Rachel was more than an employee; she was a mother, a daughter, a partner—a human being. The lack of empathy or kindness from senior HR leaders, who had worked closely with Rachel was staggering, especially at a time when compassion was needed most.
That moment became a turning point for me. I realised I could no longer stay in an environment where compassion or the very best of kindness was an afterthought. In October, I left the company without another job lined up, but with a promise to myself—and to Rachel—to explore what true leadership means through the power of kindness.
Each time I visited Rachel, I reminded her of my promise: that one day we would have lunch together if she reached a milestone in her recovery. On March 13, 2025, I was finally able to fulfil that promise. Rachel, Keiran, and I walked into a restaurant together.
Against all odds, Rachel is still Rachel—the woman I knew just for 7 weeks, but who is now a big part of my life, who has refused to give up. The receipt serves as a testament to the journey we’ve shared—a journey that has brought us to this milestone.
Naturally, Rachel’s journey has been far braver, she still has a very very long road of recovery ahead. Months of hospital care. Her story, and the events surrounding it, have profoundly changed my perspective on leadership. True leadership is not tested in times of ease but in moments of adversity. It’s about stepping up when unexpected challenges arise, showing humanity, and making decisions rooted in kindness.
This experience has propelled me to act by launching the Global Kindness Institute (GKI) —an advisory company dedicated to redefining leadership excellence through the power of kindness.
Our mission is simple one: To help global organisations and their leaders to harness the power of kindness to create more inclusive, supportive, and commercially driven high-performing workplaces.
Rachel’s story, along with the many comments on all my posts, has highlighted a crucial truth: leadership today is missing a vital ingredient. Kindness is the most impactful leadership trait—more influential than any other factor in driving organisational performance. Nothing else really comes close. Nothing.
What happened to Rachel changed her life and it has also changed my life too.
Now, I am on a mission to champion kindness as the foundation of leadership. While I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead, I am certain of one thing: together, you and I—leaders in the business, in HR, Learning, Organisational Development, and beyond—have the power to redefine what great leadership looks like. By embracing kindness, we can create workplaces that inspire trust, foster purpose, and elevate human connection at every level.
*Please note: Rachel and Keiran's names have been changed for privacy and respect. Their permission was granted to share her story.
Mark Doughty