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

Intentional Leadership in Action

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Intentional leaders know who they are. They don’t pretend to be who they are not. They know that they are not perfect. And they are not afraid to admit their mistakes.

According to Jane A. G. Kise, ‘Intentional leaders have deep self-knowledge, and recognize that their strengths come with blind spots.’

‘Intentional leaders go beyond identifying their values; they ponder how they will put them into action.’

‘Intentional leaders explore how their areas of responsibility benefit from each side of the clarity/ambiguity lens.’

Intentional leaders keep trust in mind from the start of every new relationship, knowing it is easier to build trust than to rebuild it once mistrust permeates the workplace.’

‘Leaders need to empower those they are leading, not make them overdependent.’

‘People like to be recognized in different ways.’

‘Leaders who emphasize breath may assume that everyone thrives on every changing activities.’

‘Leadership requires looking outward.’

‘Humility allows us to not adjust acknowledge weaknesses but to manage them, which is key to developing leadership expertise.’

Source:

Jane A. G. Kise (2014). Intentional Leadership: 12 Lenses for Focusing Strengths, Managing Weaknesses, and Achieving our Purpose