It has been said that you cannot out-give God. While this is true–God has entrusted you with much as a leader and he expects you to give yourself away to others. At the heart of this truth is generosity.
At its core, generosity is other-focused. Leading with a generous heart communicates that you value your team members and their contribution to the larger mission.
In Adam Grant’s best-selling book, “Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success,” Grant cites decades of psychological studies to make the argument that generous leaders are the most likely to succeed. Why? Because success is tied to how we interact with people.
“Every time we interact with another person at work,” he said, “we have a choice to make. Do we try to claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return?”
Grant characterizes generosity as a posture toward altruism rather than self-serving. And just like everything else, generosity needs boundaries or it could lead to burnout.
How can you be a generous leader?
- Speak positively about others to someone in authority
- Foster a culture of generosity–make asking for and giving help a cornerstone of your company culture
- Minimize rewarding self-serving behavior
- Publicly celebrate others’ success, even in the small accomplishments
- Share your expertise with others, don’t hoard it for fear of being exploited or used.
- Encourage those who over-help to set healthy boundaries to avoid burnout
At Ministry Insights, we agree that leaders should model Phillipians 2:3 and value others above yourself. A strong team puts each other first to help others find answers, solve problems, and determine priorities.
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Strong teams are built by strong leaders. Find out how Ministry Insights’ tools can help you build a team that communicates with empathy, trusts each other, and executes like never before. Start by taking our Leading From Your Strengths (LFYS) today.
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