Generosity is a little discussed concept these days, and I dare say it should be included in the pantheon of leadership principles. In a world riddled with selfishness, "me-first" mentality, and "every-man-for-himself" behavior, it certainly is refreshing to run across people who have a generous spirit.
Pastor Robert L. Dickie is one of the most generous men with whom I have ever had the privilege of associating. His sweet spirit and others-first focus is refreshing, inspiring, and a great example for any budding leader to follow. It seems that every time I am with him, I feel lifted, encouraged, and valued. He is always first to inquire about me, my family, our health, and our general well-being. He is quick to ask about people who need help and prayer, and he is very slow to talk about himself or complain about anything.
Why is it that generosity is in such short supply today? Shouldn’t it follow that when we talk about servant leadership, generosity should automatically be included? But I have noticed that many mistake "serving others" for "serving themselves." What do I mean? I believe it is very easy, as in so many aspects of leadership, to become self-deceived. We may think we are serving others as we should, but if we find we are doing it for motives which are designed to serve ourselves, the serving cannot be labelled as generosity. It may be calculated sharing, but it is calculated nonetheless.
Generosity knows no calculation. It knows nothing about "self." It is the gracious outpouring of the heart that results in material aid, spiritual assitance, caring, and love freely given to someone else who is in no position to repay the favor in any way. True generosity is the hallmark of a mature leader’s heart.
I believe that we can get far on the leadership journey by serving others in ways that also serve ourselves. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with this approach, as far as it goes. Win-win relationships are absolutely fine, and preferred to win-lose or lose-win, and certainly to lose-lose. But I also believe that we will not maximize our potential, and our impact on others, until we strive to develop our generosity. Great leaders do not rise to greatness alone. They have been helped, inspired, guided, and gifted to achieve what they have achieved. In the spirit of thankfulness, great leaders become generous as they realize the full extent of the measure of their blessings and the role others have played in their lives. And this generosity is measured by their giving.
I was struck recently when reading a biography of a famous industrial giant from the nineteenth century. While he was generous in his dealings and negotiations with fellow businessmen, and he was apparently often concerned to make sure his business partners prospered in their affairs with him (the embodiment of win-win), in his personal giving and generosity he was no better than a scrooge. On millions of dollars of income, he had donated less than a few hundred dollars to worthy causes, including churches and charities. No matter what else he accomplished in his life, I felt that this one fact alone tarnished his legacy.
Others give very publically. In some ways, this unsettles me, too. When every dollar given must be accompanied with the donor’s name emblazened across the building (for example), it seems that, as the Bible says, "They already have their reward" (meaning here on earth).
What if we as leaders could develop our generosity? What if we grew our heart for others? What if we, as Pastor Dickie in my example above always says, could "die to self" and learn to serve others without calculating how it might also serve our interests? Do you think the world would be a better place? Do you think we might make a bigger difference in the world, in Christ’s name (instead of our own)? Do you think it might mean more for our individual legacies (even if it remained anonymous among men, and remained solely between God and ourselves)?
I like thinking these thoughts. I like thinking about the difference we could all make. And I like thinking that each of us can hold ourselves accountable to grow in this area and truly become generous, avoiding the pitfall that appears to have ensnared the industrialist I mentioned above. People may forget our leadership, they may forget our achievements, but I doubt they will ever forget our generosity!
Welcome to Chris Brady's Blog 
Leave a reply to Pat McDaniel Cancel reply