Give More Than You Take

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People are looking for other people who care. If you care about other people, you are a change agent. You are a giver, not a taker.

Givers give to others. Takers take from others. Givers are in it for others. Takers are in it for themselves.

Let me tell you something: If you want to live a meaningful life, it is better to be a giver than a taker.

Because, according to Paul Polman and Andrew Winston, ‘Transformative leadership requires broad partnerships.’

‘Cultivate a sense of responsibility and duty to serve the world, and encourage people to bring their values to work.’

‘Help people in the business find what they do uniquely for the world (their purpose).’

‘Embrace empathy, compassion, and humility, and openly seek help and partnership from others.’

‘Reward courage, speak truth to power, and do what’s right for even if there are costs.’

Look forward to understand how the world’s needs will evolve and where the company’s purpose can best serve the world.’

‘Remove rigid constraints on what the company can work on, and give people space to think big, work for the long-term, and invest in the future.’

‘Work with society by proactively inviting them in instead of waiting for them to bang on- or knock down- the door.’

‘Worry less about who gets the credit, or how to compete on issues, and focus on broader solutions.’

‘Lead the work on the biggest, most complex shared problems.’

‘Listen to smart critics to undertand systemic challenges and hurdles.’

Source:

Paul Polman and Andrew Winston (2021). Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take

What Does It Mean To Be Present?

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Life is about connecting with other people. When you are around people who are good at connecting with other people, you don’t want them to go.

As a leader, if you want to connect with your people, you must be there. You must be present. Be there. Because your people are watching you.

Your ‘actions underline or undermine our executive presence.’

‘Your actions are like a red blinking lights that signals to others ‘This is important to me.”

‘Humans trust actions over all other forms of communications.’

‘Presence is the way we move through the world.’

Authentic presence is a delicate balancing act of understanding other people’s perspectives, communicating so that they can best hear you, and staying true to yourself.’

Connection increases when you balance competency with vulnerability.’

‘Stories affect the way we understand, remember, and even listen.’

The more trust others have for you, the larger their investment in you.’

It takes effort to listen well, but it feels amazing on the receiving end.’

Reflection time involves letting thoughts come to us, which helps overcome functional fixedness.’

Source:

Kristi Hedges (2012). The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others