The Center of Leadership
Generosity is a superpower.
I’m not calling myself a superhero or anything close but I think we all have a “super” ability in us. It comes out from time to time. It’s up to us to give that chance as much as possible.
Just like I believe generosity is a mindset, I also think the same of leadership. It’s not just a title, career, or position.
I have been thinking a lot about how we lead recently. Things have changed from the ways of previous generations. The lessons learned from Rick Chromey on Speaking of Impact episode 67 are highly relevant. Rick talked about “leading from the edge.”
The information age has mixed reviews. Some say there is too much and others indicate that it’s the best time to be alive. I have mixed feelings and as a result I think it’s imperative we find the best way to use the technology we have for our good. That might seem selfish but you must define your best way to use what’s available to maximize impact.
The Edge
What’s the view like from the edge?
The leadership style that Rick talked about was empowering for every part of a team. He also talked about a starfish and how all of its limbs can regrow. In other words, it’s full of important pieces and there isn’t one all-powerful source of its life. We all have vital organs like our brain and heart but what do our families and companies look like? Are there a select few people that control everything and limit everyone else’s potential?
Instead of striving to be the center of attention or center of your team, try offering an empowering form of leadership that stresses the entire team’s ability. Applying this style could empower more people to maximize their impact and also limit the crippling pressure that some may feel. It’s not a fullproof method to inspire everyone to work their hardest but it leaves them with no excuses about support.
Leading from the edge is about highlighting the value of the group as a collective as opposed to your own presence. And let me be clear, it doesn’t minimize your value or skills. I would even argue that you can still be the face of your organization and apply this style of leadership.
The Challenge
Starting an organization or impact project with the edge mindset is the way to go. However, many successful teams were not built like that and this entry is certainly not to minimize those who’ve come before us.
The reality is that great organizations and projects of the past will continue to exist but I believe they may struggle if there isn’t a shift in thinking. With that being said, you impactmkaer, are already involved in good work. My suggestion is not to quit and start something else but to begin to shift your thinking and watch the thinking of those around you.
Empowering people can be one of the most empowering things in this life. The challenge is letting go of some of your responsibilities and more importantly, your decision making. A good leader in this model is able to identify needs and facilitate a vision of solving problems but they don’t need to, nor should they, make all the decisions. In fact, there should be many decisions they don’t make. Their time is better spent on other tasks.
If your team is used to you making all the decisions, you’ll likely run into some “slow” times when people are getting used to their new authority. It’s very empowering to have decision-making power once you realize you’re the best person to call the shots in a given scenario.
Explain to people that you believe they are most capable of making the right decisions - and be truthful! Integrity is paramount. Take the time to consider your personnel and where their skills lie.
The Tough Conversations
There are necessary tough conversations when someone makes a mistake or bad news has to be announced. You know this if you’ve ever had to fire or reprimand someone, or even announce a budget or salary cut. These are uncomfortable conversations but I would say the occurrences that necessitated them or the byproduct of them is even more challenging.
The toughest conversation are the most important.
The toughest conversations are the ones designed to induce change when it is least expected. People know when they mess up or when things aren’t going well. They likely won’t know you’re making a leadership shift.
This is not to deter you but to inspire you to inspire. I’m following through on E-Impact 126. Prepare these talks as a way to encourage and celebrate people for their successes. Don’t make it an announcement of your limitations but an announcement of everyone’s improved abilities.
They’ll be tough because it will seem complex to people, especially those that have been doing things one way for a long period of time.
The Generous Leader
I am looking to empower more generous leaders in the world (specifically in the impact space). I liken the title to a servant leader but it’s not exactly the same.
Rich LaMonica covered the servant leader concept in Speaking of Impact episode 95. I fully support this style of leadership and don’t believe it’s separate from the generous leader.
The servant leader is someone who sees themself as in service to the people he or she works (or volunteers) with. They look to make their life and work as good as possible and as a result find fulfillment in their own work. It’s not about limiting ones skills or taking a back seat.
I find a hard time envisioning a scenario where a generous leader would not also consider themselves a servant leader. The only situation that comes to mind is a solopreneur type of business where the business owner is some sort of talent, performer, or artist that needs consistent service to concentrate solely on entertaining the masses. I suppose they could be extremely generous with their time, resources, and influence while their business is designed to fully serve their lifestyle.
I would assume that most of those who would read this blog are not in the above scenario. So, I’ll assume you’re all the servant leader type.
The Relationship Triumvirate
Let’s talk about being generous as you lead. There are three main relationships that a leader has to be concerned about. The relationship between themselves and their team, themselves and their customers, and their team and their customers. A large organization would call for some pretty complex diagraming and call for brand related relationshps but that would be for another more marketing related writing.
Every relationship that you have in life is an opportunity to be generous. This means that as a generous leader, you have should be concerned with each of the bonds listed above.
First of all, the foundation of a good business is camaraderie. This is why there are so many companies dedicated to “team-building” exercises. It’s important. Yet, I would say that there are much more important things than taking the group out to dinner, to a golf lesson, or even on a cruise (don’t get me wrong, a company wide cruise would be a blast!). The generous leader seeks not to impress his or her staff or “buy” their approval, but to offer more than what they need to be a successful employee of the firm.
You should not seek to be the gift giver or the “nicest boss ever.” Remember, generosity is a mindset, not an event. You will be seen as generous not by your planned events but your default mindset. Consider more than inventory, profits, and margins. Concern yourself deeply with the lives and well-being of your team.
I just read a tweet that asked who your best spiritual leader has been and what they taught you. I knew right away for me that it was Pastor Tim Hartner. If you are part of my inner circle, you might’ve guessed that but what you wouldn’t guess was the lesson I responded to the tweet with. Pastor Tim was highly educated reverend and theological scholar but the best thing he ever taught (whether he knows it or not) is to call people by name. A name is spiritual and I always do my best to address people by their name. It has deep meaning.
Pastor Tim was the generous leader of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Weston, FL for about thirty years. He was concerned with everyone’s well-being. He was also a servant leader and the distinction I make is that he knew he couldn’t serve everyone in the congregation all the time. It wasn’t physically possible but when he had the chance to give his full attention to a person, he did.
The concern that you give to each person on your team has to be intense, equal, and genuine. The workplace environment is directly correlated to the leader’s relationships with the team.
The leader’s relationship with the customers is a bit different. Much of it depends on the style of business. A service business is different than a product business as a brick and mortar store is different than e-commerce. However, in any scenario, the leader should also show legitimate concern for the customers. The intimacy of the relationships will likely not rise to that of those with colleagues but in the moments of interaction it is intense.
Finally, the team member-customer relationship will generally develop from how the leader operates in the others. It will need to be reinforced in writing and verbally from time to time but safe to say if you get the other two right, your time will follow-suit. There’s no need to bark orders. That is leadership - generous leadership!
The Center
The generous leader has an incredible ability to influence without being an “influencer’. It’s like having an Instagram page with ten followers but the highest engagement metrics known to Meta.
It’s not the center of attention but the center of influence.
You are not in the center. You are on the edge.
Generosity is the center of leadership.