TED - Is Generosity the Most Underrated Leadership Skill? | Joe Davis | TED
The speaker shares personal experiences and insights on leadership, highlighting the transition from a traditional management role to a more human-centered approach. Initially, the speaker struggled with providing feedback and understanding the essence of leadership. Through experiences at Proctor and Gamble and later at BCG, the speaker learned that leadership is not about position but about generosity and helping others reach their potential. The speaker emphasizes the need for leaders to be curious, listen generously, and be vulnerable. By sharing a story about Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, the speaker illustrates how listening to employees at all levels can lead to better decision-making and respect. Another example highlights the power of vulnerability, where admitting not knowing the answers can foster a collaborative environment. Lastly, the speaker stresses the importance of being generous in the moment, even when there is nothing to gain personally, as demonstrated by an executive who advocated for a candidate with a low GPA based on his own experiences. These traits help transform a manager into an exceptional leader.
Key Points:
- Generous leadership involves listening beyond traditional hierarchies and valuing all insights.
- Vulnerability in leadership encourages collaboration and innovation.
- Being generous without expecting personal gain fosters growth and trust.
- Listening to employees at all levels can lead to better decision-making.
- Generosity and humanity in leadership inspire and motivate teams.
Details:
1. 📈 Early Career Lessons: From Manager to Leader
1.1. Communication and Feedback
1.2. Leadership Insights
2. 🔄 Evolution of Leadership: Human Connection and Generosity
- Leadership roles have evolved to emphasize human connection and generosity, with a demand for leaders to bring their human selves to work and exhibit humanity.
- Generous leadership is not synonymous with being nice; it requires leaders to achieve outcomes while connecting deeply and personally with their teams.
- According to the CEO of Johnson and Johnson, outcomes are crucial, but leaders should also help unlock essential human potential by looking beyond themselves.
- An example of this approach is seen in companies that prioritize employee well-being and development, leading to improved performance and innovation.
- The shift towards human-centric leadership is also reflected in retention rates, where organizations focusing on human connection see up to 30% improvement in employee retention.
3. 🧠Generous Leadership Traits: Curiosity and Listening
- Generous leadership involves curiosity and actively listening to all levels of the organization, breaking traditional hierarchical listening barriers.
- Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, exemplifies generous leadership by personally interviewing candidates for vice president positions, regardless of their starting level in the company.
- Through these interviews, Kirby discovered that technicians lacked necessary spare parts, a critical insight that led him to increase parts availability, prioritizing frontline pride over financial concerns.
- This approach demonstrates that investing in the needs and pride of frontline employees can yield significant organizational dividends.
4. 💬 Embracing Vulnerability in Leadership
- Asking and listening not only aids in solving challenges but also demonstrates respect by acknowledging others' valuable insights.
- Being vulnerable in leadership involves putting aside the facade of having all the answers, which can be particularly challenging for young leaders.
- An example of embracing vulnerability is a leader admitting "I don't know" in front of their team, which can lead to increased team energy and idea generation.
- Once a leader admitted to not knowing the solution, it encouraged the team to move beyond fear and roadblocks, fostering an environment where acknowledging vulnerability led to productive outcomes.
5. 🌟 Generosity in Action: Transforming from Good to Exceptional Leader
- Generosity in leadership involves making decisions that benefit others even when there is no personal gain. An example is an executive who advocated for a candidate with a mid 2.0 GPA, based on a shared past experience, leading to the candidate being reconsidered despite initial rejection.
- This act of generosity demonstrated the power of vulnerability, as the executive shared his own similar past to help elevate another, illustrating how such actions can transform a good manager into an exceptional leader.
- Generosity in leadership means helping others reach their full potential without expecting anything in return, thereby fostering an environment of growth and inspiration.
- True leadership is not only about strategies and metrics but also about sharing humanity and heart, which inspires people to follow and cultivate a loyal and motivated team.