Jonas Peeck: Listening, Leading, and Proactively Helping Each Other

As a founder and senior cloud engineer based in Germany, Jonas Peeck brings technical acumen as well as insights shaped by years of navigating corporate, startup, and freelance environments. People in positions of power often underestimate the lasting impact of how they treat others, and he shares how his past leaders have affected him.

Early in his career, while working during university, Jonas had a team lead who mentored him—going beyond politeness into real advocacy. This early support left a long-term impression. “He was really proactively coaching me, pushing me, and even suggesting different kinds of education around leadership.” Jonas contrasted this with a painful experience years later, when a CTO berated him so harshly that he left the meeting in tears. While he can laugh about it now, it was foundational to his understanding of leadership.

For Jonas, kindness in leadership means clarity, honesty, and presence. It is the willingness to listen, to explain, and to follow through. “I love people,” he said. “I hate the waste of human energy and potential in so many companies.” He described environments where internal politics and vague promises drained morale, and how those experiences shaped his desire to one day build a company where people can thrive.

One formative story came from his early job at Burger King. After a stressful moment where he yelled at a customer, his shift lead did not scold him. Instead, she pulled him aside, asked what had happened, and offered calm, constructive feedback. “That was real kindness,” Jonas said. It was a moment of respect and understanding in a setting where this type of leadership was not necessarily expected, and it stuck with him.

Kindness, to Jonas, is a long-term investment, one that should not be used transactionally, but can consistently yield trust, relationships, and opportunity.

“Kindness is a free investment in people that will, more often than not, give you returns you couldn’t even imagine.”

Jonas Peeck is a cloud engineer, founder, and reflective leader who reminds us that kindness at work is not just about tone—it is about proactively helping each other and how we treat people under pressure. Keep an eye out for more interviews.