Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Melinda Hsu has spent her career navigating some of Hollywood’s most demanding creative environments. A veteran television writer, producer, and showrunner, she has worked on acclaimed series including Lost, The Vampire Diaries, The Gifted, Nancy Drew, and Tom Swift.
In her new book, Lead with Kindness: How to Change the Culture of the Workplace and the World (Post Hill Press, June 2026), Hsu argues that kindness is not a soft skill or a sign of weakness—it is a powerful leadership tool that drives accountability, trust, performance, and resilience.
In this edition of Author Talks, Hsu chats with McKinsey Global Publishing’s Roberta Fusaro and discusses why toxic workplace cultures persist, how leaders can build trust in times of uncertainty, and the measurable business benefits of leading with kindness.
*In the full interview*:
- Intro
- Inside the Writer’s Guild strike
- Kindness with a backbone
- Can kindness be viewed as weakness in women?
- The top 3 benefits of leading with kindness
- Measuring investment in kindness
- Building trust in chaotic environments
- Kindness and accountability in practice
- Building the writers’ room with kindness
- Giving feedback with kindness
Read the full interview: mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks-in-hollywood-and-in-business-its-cool-to-be-kind
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
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Melinda Hsu has spent her career navigating some of Hollywood’s most demanding creative environments. A veteran television writer, producer, and showrunner, she has worked on acclaimed series including Lost, The Vampire Diaries, The Gifted, Nancy Drew, and Tom Swift.
In her new book, Lead with Kindness: How to Change the Culture of the Workplace and the World (Post Hill Press, June 2026), Hsu argues that kindness is not a soft skill or a sign of weakness—it is a powerful leadership tool that drives accountability, trust, performance, and resilience.
In this edition of Author Talks, Hsu chats with McKinsey Global Publishing’s Roberta Fusaro and discusses why toxic workplace cultures persist, how leaders can build trust in times of uncertainty, and the measurable business benefits of leading with kindness.
*In the full interview*:
- Intro
- Inside the Writer’s Guild strike
- Kindness with a backbone
- Can kindness be viewed as weakness in women?
- The top 3 benefits of leading with kindness
- Measuring investment in kindness
- Building trust in chaotic environments
- Kindness and accountability in practice
- Building the writers’ room with kindness
- Giving feedback with kindness
Read the full interview: mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks-in-hollywood-and-in-business-its-cool-to-be-kind
Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
*Find us on:*
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
