The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone's Gain

Leading successfully in a world full of disruption means building more than technical skills. Yes, you must deliver results, but to run a successful business you must learn to lead with your heart. Being vulnerable with your staff is intimidating, but when connecting with people not only will you grow as a leader and a person, but your business will grow as well.

Bringing your authentic self to your leadership takes courage and commitment, but you reap profound benefits from heart-led generous acts. This book presents seven ways to give of yourself for everyone's gain: 1. Generous Communication: Be real to build deep connections; 2. Generous Listening: Be sincerely curious about another's perspective; 3. Generous Inclusion: Be inclusive to invite collaboration and show respect; 4. The Generous Ally: Take chances to make chances for others; 5. Generous Development: Validate strengths and success, identify expansive opportunities; 6. Generous Moments: Make small acts of acknowledgment in important moments to make a big impact; and 7. Give up the Mask: Be emotionally accessible with authenticity and vulnerability.

As you build your skills with the guidance from this trusted reference, success will spread from your generosity to the people you work with, to your organization, to your own career, and even society.

About the Author

Joe Davis is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group. He is a former Head of BCG in North America and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He oversaw BCG’s operations in the US, Canada and Mexico and was recognized as one of the Top 25 Consultants of the year in 2011.

In The Generous Leader Joe tells a story about a performance review from early in his career: to summarize, he was told he is not the best at problem solving in a vacuum, but in collaboration with others, can solve any challenge. Why? Because early in Joe’s career this mentor identified his key strength—Joe was a person who could connect with anyone.

This ability to connect with people became the foundation of a successful career at Boston Consulting Group, spanning more than 35 years, across multiple offices around the world, opening and growing offices, starting businesses, and helping to grow the firm. For more than three decades, Joe’s passion for people and his desire to support their development, inspired teams to work harder and better than they thought possible, creating exceptional collaborative results for BCG and its clients.

In keeping with his constant commitment to champion people and their dreams, Joe currently serves as Chair of BCG’s Center for Inclusion and Equity. He is a co-founding Steering Committee member of CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion and the Sothern Communities Initiative.

Joe is a graduate of Whitman College and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Joe previously served as Vice Chair of B Capital Group. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Joe has benefited from the generosity of a loving family: Sarah, his wife of more than 40 years, whom he met at Whitman College, his four children and their partners, and seven grandchildren. When he is not traveling the world for work or to be with family, you can find Joe running or gardening as his moving meditation.