Is generosity the most underrated leadership skill? | Joe Davis

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Is Generosity the Most Underrated Leadership Skill?" | Joe Davis

Podcast Information:

• Title: TED Talks Daily
• Host/Author: TED
• Episode: Is Generosity the Most Underrated Leadership Skill? | Joe Davis
• Release Date: March 20, 2025

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Introduction to Generous Leadership

In the March 20, 2025 episode of TED Talks Daily, host Elise Hu introduces Joe Davis, an expert collaborator and author, who delves into the transformative power of generosity in leadership. Drawing from his personal experiences and extensive research, Davis argues that generosity is not just a commendable trait but a critical skill for effective leadership in today’s dynamic work environments.

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Joe Davis’ Journey to Understanding Leadership

[02:26] Joe Davis begins by recounting his early career challenges. At 26 years old, he found himself leading a team of individuals significantly older and more experienced than himself during his tenure at Procter & Gamble. Despite his young age, Davis struggled with traditional management approaches, which led to a pivotal learning moment during year-end reviews.

Key Reflection:

"Leadership isn't about role or position. It's about generosity."
— Joe Davis ([02:50])

This revelation shifted Davis’ perspective from authoritative management to a more generous, empathetic approach, emphasizing the importance of fostering growth and development within his team.

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The Evolution of Leadership Demands

Davis highlights the changing expectations of leadership in modern organizations. Through his work at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and his interactions with various executives for his book on generous leadership, he observed a significant shift:

• Human-Centric Leadership: Leaders are now expected to bring their authentic selves to work, fostering genuine connections with their teams.
• Generosity Over Authority: The focus has moved from merely directing teams to empowering them through supportive and generous actions.

Notable Insight:

"We now want and need to bring our human selves to work, and we expect to see humanity in our leaders."
— Joe Davis ([04:15])

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Defining Generous Leadership

Generous leadership, as defined by Joe Davis, encompasses giving freely without expecting personal gain, thereby enabling others to reach their full potential. He emphasizes that generosity in leadership goes beyond mere niceness; it is intertwined with achieving tangible outcomes.

Quote from Industry Leader:

"Outcomes do matter. A leader must get results."
— Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson ([05:10])

Davis argues that by prioritizing humanity and generosity, leaders can effectively drive results while fostering a positive and productive work environment.

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Seven Traits of Generous Leadership

Davis outlines seven traits underpinning generous leadership, focusing on three key traits in this talk:

1. Be Curious and Listen Generously

Generous leaders break down traditional barriers of hierarchy, actively seeking insights from all levels within the organization, including direct reports and frontline employees.

Example Highlight:

Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, schedules one-on-one interviews with every promotion candidate to officer positions, demonstrating unparalleled curiosity and respect for all team members regardless of their roles.
— Joe Davis ([06:45])

By listening to frontline employees, Kirby identified operational issues that, when addressed, significantly enhanced employee pride and performance.

2. Be Vulnerable

Vulnerability in leadership involves openly acknowledging uncertainties and limitations, which fosters a culture of trust and collaborative problem-solving.

Personal Anecdote: Davis shares a story about a colleague who initially avoided displaying vulnerability but later realized its power to energize and inspire the team when he admitted, "I don't know either."

"The room had erupted with energy and ideas."
— Joe Davis ([07:30])

This shift from hiding vulnerabilities to embracing them led to a more engaged and innovative team environment.

3. Be Generous in Every Moment

True generosity involves taking actions that benefit others without expecting anything in return, thereby elevating leaders from being merely good to exceptional.

Illustrative Story: A leader at a prestigious firm recounts advocating for a promising young candidate despite his own competitive standing, sharing his own academic setbacks to support the candidate's potential.

"Why would he make this vulnerable admission to save a mere stranger?"
— Joe Davis ([08:15])

This act of generosity exemplifies how leaders can profoundly impact individual careers and, by extension, the organization’s success.

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Conclusion: The Power of Heartfelt Leadership

Joe Davis concludes by reinforcing that exceptional leaders inspire loyalty and dedication not through strategies or metrics alone, but by authentically connecting with their teams. By embodying generosity and humanity, leaders can unlock the full potential of their teams, driving both personal and organizational success.

Final Thought:

"When they see you bring your full heart into your leadership and share your humanity, that is when they will follow you anywhere."
— Joe Davis ([09:30])

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Key Takeaways

• Generosity as Core Leadership: Emphasizing the importance of giving freely to empower team members.
• Authentic Connections: Building trust through genuine relationships and open communication.
• Vulnerability as Strength: Encouraging a culture where admitting uncertainties leads to collective problem-solving and innovation.
• Impact on Results: Linking humane leadership practices to tangible organizational outcomes.

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This episode of TED Talks Daily with Joe Davis serves as a compelling exploration of how generosity transforms leadership, fostering environments where individuals thrive and organizations excel.

Transcript

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[Elise Hu]

You're listening to TED Talks Daily where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. Hi, I'm your host, Elise Hu. When expert collaborator Joe Davis was just 26, he found himself managing people way older than him, as he puts it. He had no idea what he was doing, but he came to learn that more than anything, leadership is about generosity. In his 2024 talk, he shares why we must bring more humanity to our leadership. And in order to get results, we have to first learn how to connect deeply and personally with our teams. That's coming up.

[Customer]

My first job out of college was at Procter and Gamble, first as a sales rep, then a manager with three reps reporting to me. They were in their 40s. I was 26 and frankly, I had no idea how to be a manager. I rode with them every two weeks visiting stores, yet rarely giving any feedback. I was in awe. Then it came time for year end reviews. I compiled a list of things I thought each person could do to improve and I launched into my review with Rich and about three minutes in he cut me off. Hey wait a minute Joe. You ride with me every two weeks and you've never said any of these things. What the heck? I was mortified. He taught me something in that moment. Leadership isn't about role or position. It's about generosity. We need generous leaders, those who give of themselves freely without expectation of personal gain, so others can develop, grow, and thrive at their full potential. Now, since P and G, I've worked across multiple roles at BCG, the Boston Consulting Group, overseeing teams of three people to 7,000. I also had the privilege of interviewing a number of executives across many industries for my book on generous leadership. And let me tell you, what a leader is and what is demanded of them have changed. We now want and need to bring our human selves to work, and we expect to see humanity in our leaders. But let me be very clear. Being generous is not simply about being nice. As Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson and Johnson, put it very plainly, outcomes do matter. A leader must get results. But the sooner they can look past themselves and connect more deeply and personally with their people and help unlock all the essential human traits of their team, the sooner they will drive to those results. So how do you be a generous leader? There are seven traits underpinning generous leadership. Today I'd like to touch on three. Tip number one. Be curious and listen generously. No doubt you've heard this advice before, and maybe you consider yourself a good listener. But let me ask you this. To whom are you listening? The senior team? Your own leadership team? How about your direct reports? Direct reports, Direct report. Have you asked your assistant for their insights? Generous listeners ignore the traditional barriers of titles and hierarchy. They ask and listen. They listen to learn, and with that respect, they inspire others. Take Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines. Anytime someone's getting promoted to an officer position at United, he schedules a one on one interview with them. Can you imagine how rare that is? CEO interviewing every VP candidate? When I interviewed Scott for my book, he recalled sitting down with three candidates for vice president of operations. Each started as technicians, the people out on the tarmac doing maintenance every day to keep passengers safe and the planes on time. It is a critical function, but many, many layers away from the CEO. But Scott was still curious enough to ask them, what do technicians need most? And each of those candidates said the same thing. Sir, we don't have enough spare parts on site. Scott said. That was such an epiphany for me. Our technicians on the front line, of course, want to do well, but when they don't have the spare parts on hand, they can't do their job with pride. So while Scott knew the financial people would not be pleased. He said, I increased parts in the airport as I believe supporting the pride in our technicians would pay bigger dividends. Asking and listening helps you better solve tough challenges. But crucially, it shows respect. It tells the person you see them as a human with valuable insights. Tip number two, be vulnerable. Put down the mask. Easier said than done, I fear. When I was a young leader, I felt so much pressure to have all the answers. It never occurred to me to be vulnerable. I'm not even sure I knew what the word meant. And even today, many wonder, what does it mean? Well, here's an example. I was talking with a colleague about his own vulnerabilities. He said that if he sensed his team was getting lost and they might ask him what to do, and he also didn't know what to do, he would literally get up and leave the room rather than say, I don't know. Real productive, huh? Finally, one day he thought, this is silly. He stayed in the room, and he admitted, I don't know either. And he's astonished at what happened next. The room had erupted with energy and ideas. Since the boss didn't know it was okay for everyone to move past their fear, their roadblocks, acknowledge their own vulnerability and get to work figuring it out. Tip number three, be generous. In the moment, in every moment, especially when there's nothing for you to gain. That's the true definition of generosity. I was talking to a leader at one of the most prestigious firms in the world. He recalled sitting in a gorgeous conference room with a view of the city that doesn't quit. With nine other leaders deciding the fate of today's young interviewees. First candidate. Great interview scores, super grades, solid resume. She's in number two. Average across the board. That's a no. 3. Knocked it out of the park on the interviews. Top scores across the board. Wow, someone said. We don't see this very often. Wait a minute. Another person spoke up. He has a mid 2.0 college GPA. We know people in that grade range just don't last here. Conversation went back and forth, got a bit heated, but the mood swung to a no. Then my friend, who had been sitting there silently biding his time just listening, spoke up. I have to tell you all something I've never told anyone here before. I had those grades in college. What can I say? I wasn't focused. But you know what? I got my act together, got into business school, got hired here, made senior partner, and now I'm the head of this office. What do you say we give this young man a chance to now, this is a lovely story, but here's why it's interesting. Because it didn't matter whatsoever to this executive if this young man was hired. There are plenty of other candidates. Why would he make this vulnerable admission to save a mere stranger? Because that's what it means to be generous in the moment, to take each and every opportunity you get to help others grow and thrive at their full potential, even when you personally have nothing to gain. Generosity is what will move you from the good manager category to an exceptional leader. Your people are not only motivated by your dazzling strategies, your brilliant plans, your inspiring targets and metrics. When they see you bring your full heart into your leadership and share your humanity, that is when they will follow you anywhere. Thank you for listening.

[Elise Hu]

That was Joe Davis recorded for TED at BCG in 2024. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out [e-mail] curationguidelines and that's it for today's show. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar and Tonsika Sarmarniv. It was mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Ballarezzo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening.

[Listener]

Dr. Catherine Saunders is a leading obesity specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine and co founder of Flight Health, a software and clinical services company. Democratizing Access to Medical Obesity care. One of her goals as a physician is to create a long term relationship with her patients and break down stigmas surrounding obesity. She recently sat down with one of her patients, Barbara, to talk about what an empathy and science based approach to healthcare actually looks like.

[Barbara]

I really battled obesity and I have been battling it my entire Life. In 2010 I weighed about 340 pounds. I had a Roux en y bypass. I probably lost about 150 pounds and I felt pretty good. But my weight gradually began to creep up. I went back to my bariatric surgeon. I was looking for help. He looked me straight in the eye. He was very blunt and he said go see Dr. Katherine Saunders.

[Dr. Katherine Saunders]

We talk a lot about how it's so important in this field of medicine to have a good partnership between the patient and the care team against the disease. Especially in the field of obesity medicine. It's so critical that we as healthcare providers listen to our patients. They've heard from so many other healthcare providers. Oh, just eat less and exercise more. Just go off and lose weight. It's a long term relationship where there has to be trust.

[Barbara]

Yeah. Dr. Saunders, you said there are going to be bumps in the road, and when that happens, I want you to contact me immediately. The fact that you gave me that permission, it was almost like vaccinating me against failure.

[Dr. Katherine Saunders]

Yeah. It's so much better for us to understand early what's going on. We have to be detectives, and we can very often pinpoint what it is.

[Barbara]

Yeah. Dr. Saunders, you probably remember the time I came to you and I said, I've started eating in the middle of the night and I have no idea why. I was flabbergasted. We talked and came up with a plan.

[Dr. Katherine Saunders]

Yeah. And it's my job to figure out why is this happening? What's not working? I think we adjusted the timing of one of your medications to cover nighttime better. When you reached your health goals, we decided to transition from the phase of weight loss to the phase of weight maintenance. We recognized at that point that your prediabetes was gone, your blood pressure was in the normal range, and all of the health complications that were associated with your higher weight were improved or gone.

[Barbara]

That was really exciting. You allow yourself as a patient to start to think about what that means for your life. I realized that I didn't fear being around food anymore.

[Dr. Katherine Saunders]

It's really important for people to understand that what they are struggling with is not their fault. And there are effective treatment plans. Hearing stories like Barbara can change so many lives.

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