Would you agree effective leaders embody compassion and empathy while also forging authentic connections with their #1 asset – their employees? Generous leaders prioritize the development of their people and empower them to pursue growth from within. As the CEO of Rx Medical , a company that provides innovative technological and medical advancements in support of better patient care, my team and I prioritize servant and generous leadership. This approach prioritizes employee development, fosters ongoing education in the medical devices field, and nurtures a spirit of collaboration to create a thriving workplace where people have the opportunity to excel.
Within our family of healthcare businesses, we promote personal and professional advancement because it creates environments where both individuals and organizations thrive in a spirit of honesty and transparency. In the publication, The Generous Leader, Joe Davis shares seven transformative strategies to give of yourself for the betterment of your organization and its people. There is no more powerful leader than a generous leader. I invite you to delve into this month’s LinkedIn leadership blog, where I summarize these powerful ideas and hope to inspire you to embrace a spirit of generous leadership.
Connecting by Communicating
Engage in meaningful communication with your employees and colleagues daily. In business environments, the emphasis often lies on the exchange of data. However, you can effectively share crucial insights while also forging emotional connections. Be real to build deep connections.
Listen to Others’ Points of View
Generous leaders invite others to articulate how they see the world. They take the time to understand different perspectives and listen to understand (not just to be heard). Being sincerely curious about another’s perspective demonstrates respect. Through actions, you are more likely to engage with your teams authentically. Extending that level of understanding breaks down hierarchical, job-related roles and establishes a time and context for people to share their experiences and perspectives. The benefits of understanding other people’s viewpoints include growing and expanding your worldview.
Include Everyone in the Conversation
Be inclusive by inviting collaboration with others. Such deliberate inclusion acknowledges the importance of other perspectives and helps you see different ways people experience the world. One way to practice inclusion is to create short-term work groups to address specific challenges or to convene occasional regular “update” meetings that include employees who don’t usually attend routine sessions.
Promote Greater Diversity
Strong, generous leaders who are engaged and compassionate can have a profound impact on the lives of their employees and on their company’s culture. Effective leaders take chances to make chances for others. Generous leaders are engaged and compassionate because they recognize they have a profound impact on the lives of their employees and on their company’s culture.
Identify, Cultivate, and Develop Talent
People want to be good at what they do – and want to be valued and respected for it. Most people also want to get better at their work through effort and experience and embrace a trajectory that leads to mastery. Generous leaders identify talented people and with encouragement and helpful direction, guide them to cultivate and develop their unique abilities.
Small Gestures Make a Big Difference
The process of identifying, acknowledging and developing people’s abilities unfolds with individuals and whole teams over time. Not all gestures need to be large and encompassing. Sometimes, relatively small efforts can make an enormous difference. Generous leaders know that personal interactions demonstrate you are paying attention to the people you work with and genuinely care about them. Sometimes small acts of acknowledgment in important moments make a big impacts.
Develop your Better Self
Just as generous leaders help develop other people’s abilities, they can bring about change within themselves too. Generous leaders are emotionally accessible and are not afraid to demonstrate authenticity and vulnerability. As you develop a more grounded self, you become even better equipped to create both a home and a workplace culture in which people thrive.
“Employees want to be seen as more than people who accomplish objectives — rather, as whole individuals. And they want to work with you to contribute to a better world — one that is larger than you, the people on your team or your organization overall.” – Joe Davis
Making changes and moving past old ways of doing things isn’t easy. First, get out of your own way, and don’t let analytical thinking paralyze you. On your journey as a generous leader, don’t erect a wall between yourself and others – allow yourself to be vulnerable. Acknowledge that you’re not always right and have a lot to learn. Recognize that you can meet your professional goals only within a team, and you want that team to be as cohesive, communicative, and inclusive as possible.
📌LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: How can you, as a leader, evolve in a positive direction that benefits you, your team and your company?
Brandon Rouse leads a diverse & growing team of professionals well-versed in the challenges facing healthcare. Headquartered in OKC, OK, Brandon’s experienced team represents various technological & innovative medical solutions. ZB RX Medical is a direct distributor of Zimmer Biomet.