Mona Moayad: Rethinking Leadership with Kindness, Confidence, and Humility

Mona Moayad’s story reflects evolving values and how clarity around kindness can reshape leadership. A U.S.-trained lawyer turned digital transformation expert, Mona has worked across law, banking, and digital strategy in both the U.S. and Germany. Her journey from litigation in New York to change management in Frankfurt was both a career pivot and a mindset shift. She began her legal career in civil litigation supporting marginalized communities before transitioning to corporate advisory roles, experiences that exposed her to two very different value systems.

At the heart of that shift was a redefinition of leadership. “Kindness,” Mona explained, “is often conflated with being nice. There’s actually so much more nuance.” She added, “Sometimes, in a colloquial way, we use those terms interchangeably.” For her, kindness is a deliberate practice—rooted in emotional regulation, clarity, and service to others. It is a relational skill, and one that builds trust across every context.

One of Mona’s most formative professional experiences came through a manager named Mark, whose servant leadership style created psychological safety in a high-pressure environment. “It was such a pleasure to work with him,” she said. “He led with kindness, and that created space for delivery, for creativity, for doing more.” In stark contrast to the aggressive, performative culture around them, his strength stood out. That leadership changed how she saw her own path.

Now self-employed, Mona continues to reflect on how values guide her professional future. She speaks openly about letting go of “boxed-in” corporate norms and embracing creativity, service, and emotional intelligence. She has worked with teams across Europe, Asia, and South America—experiences that deepened her understanding of kindness across cultures. “Every culture values kindness,” she said, “but it looks different in each context.” From Dallas to Frankfurt, from New York to international teams, she observed how humility, curiosity, and a kind tone can disarm cultural tension and build common ground.

In reflecting on her experiences with more toxic management styles, “kindness seems to be directly tied with how secure someone is in themselves.” Mona has witnessed examples of where unkindness—often stemming from insecurity—causes real harm. “Kindness is actually tied to strength,” she said. “People who are super aggressive and are unkind in their approach are really hard to have effective work relationships with. There's always this chip on their shoulder and there's a sense of defensiveness all the time about everything.”

Her outlook is shaped by personal growth and by deep reflection. After the recent loss of her grandmother, Mona began thinking more actively about legacy. “What do I want to be remembered for?” she asked. Her answer: someone who was kind, connected, and made others’ lives easier. Someone who infused her work with joy and made service central.

“One can have the most refreshing, innovative perspective—but if it is not delivered with kindness, humility, and curiosity, it is very hard to be remembered in a positive light.”

Mona Moayad is a leadership consultant and transformation strategist who believes that kindness is not a soft skill—it is the foundation of strong, sustainable leadership. Keep an eye out for more interviews.