20 Elements of Generous Leadership

By | April 22, 2018

[April 22, 2018]  Trending over the past few years has been a number of discussion threads on what is being called generous leadership.  What is it and is not has been kicked around like any new idea and I am here today to provide a short list of those elements.

Recently, Dave Kraft, in his Leadership from the Heart blog, has done a good job of listing many of those elements.  His thoughtful article can be found here (see link).  I will modify them, of course, and provide what I see as some of the essential components of generous leadership.  Others like Gary Runn, Crane Wood Stookey, and Pastor Daryl Largis, have also added great content to this discussion.

From my experience, here are 20 elements of generous leadership:

  1. Don’t give to get. Give to give.
  2. Enrichment is achieved by providing all the resources at the leader’s disposal.
  3. Look for everyday opportunities to practice generosity in small ways.
  4. Look to the needs of others.
  5. Gives generous credit to the team.
  6. Respectful of others.
  7. Courageously give yourself first. Generosity is about who you are.
  8. Earn to give. Don’t give it all away. Earn more so you can give more.
  9. Hang with the lower-crust. The upper-crust is disconnected.
  10. Feel it. Generosity that doesn’t touch you is nice, not remarkable.
  11. Get your hands dirty. Don’t delegate generosity.
  12. Build channels of generosity for others.
  13. Honor generosity when you see it.
  14. Embrace humility and patience.
  15. Trust one’s colleagues.
  16. Never hold grudges but develop the ability to forgive.
  17. Find the time and resources to mentor others.
  18. Value and give respectful feedback.
  19. Devote the time to truly listen to what others have to say.
  20. … and remember, leaders eat last.

A pretty good list from a lot of truly great leaders would contain these in some form.  Share the list with others and let me know what you think.

Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

Hello. I provide one article every day. My writings are influenced by great thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jung, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Jean Piaget, Erich Neumann, and Jordan Peterson, whose insight and brilliance have gotten millions worldwide to think about improving ourselves. Thank you for reading my blog.

16 thoughts on “20 Elements of Generous Leadership

  1. Joe Omerrod

    I would like to graciously add these:
    1. Open to ideas
    2. Kindness and caring
    3. Patience in all things
    4. Actively fosters a positive work environment
    5. Does not use the word “I” or “me” when speaking about the company
    Hope these help.

    Reply
  2. Greg Heyman

    Leaders eat last. We need to remember that leadership is complex, uncertain, and volatile. It’s always changing. But the characteristics of leadership is unchanging because humans are unchanging.

    Reply
  3. Martin Shiell

    Reality check … these are the same characteristics that make for a mature person. I find that many people did not have a good upbringing and therefore lack the motivation to do any of these. Why? It takes effort. You don’t have to be smart, rich, famous, strong, beautiful, or desirable. You can be anybody and duplicate this list and you are on your way to great leadership.

    Reply
  4. Bryan Lee

    My morning reading includes a number of on-line newspapers, blogs, and (of course) your leadership posts. Thank you.

    Reply
  5. Kenny Foster

    I’m amazed at the people anywhere I go that don’t practice this type of behavior. It doesn’t matter, in my opinion, whether you are a formal leader in some organization or just a regular Joe working at minimum wage, everyone should be doing these things on your list.

    Reply
    1. Anita

      Yes, I agree. These are the types of things that help junior leaders do well.

      Reply
    2. Dennis Mathes

      YES, very good post today with crucial elements of overall good leadership.

      Reply
  6. Mr. T.J. Asper

    All the more to share with my students. With a few of my own, I’ll have the other teacher’s heads spinning.

    Reply
  7. Dale Paul Fox

    I too like Dave Kraft’s writings and here is what he had to say about “generosity”:
    Generosity requires:
    1. Humility.
    2. Courage.
    3. Compassion.
    4. Connection.
    No-strings-attached generosity lifts you above the pack. Half-hearted generosity is barter.
    Some will take advantage of generosity.
    Be wise, but be more generous than wise.

    Reply
  8. Watson B.

    I like the list Gen Satterfield. I too have a list of things that great leaders do and many are also on my list. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Tomas C. Looney

    Yes, very good list and worthwhile to read through as I sip my coffee. It was #20 that peaked my attention and hit the link. Excellent article on “leaders eat last”; one of your best.

    Reply

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