The Project Book

CHAPTER 19 BE GENEROUS

One project director I worked for back in the UK always bought the first round of drinks. Whether it was coffee or alcohol there was no question, the first round was his. Yet that wasn’t what I liked about him the most. The thing that I liked most is that he would happily give up his time for any of the team at any time of day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner — none was sacrosanct when any of us had an issue.

Time is the most precious commodity we have, so for a leader to give up theirs to share their wisdom or to give you a shot of inspiration when you need it most is taking generosity to a different level, and I’ve never forgotten it. What he got back was loyalty, respect and a willingness to model this behaviour with others.

In their book Conscious Capitalism, Raj Sisodia and John Mackey write, ‘The virtue of generosity does not merely apply to giving money, but primarily to the gift of ourselves — our time and our service to others. True generosity should not be thought of as some kind of self-sacrifice where what we give to others comes at our own expense. Rather it is an extension of love from our own hearts, which takes genuine delight in the flourishing of other people’.

Our new world culture, post-GFC, is much more focused on community spirit and generosity of time. In one survey Deloitte found that 92 per cent of Gen Ys want to see organisational measures for social purpose rather than just profit. The B Corp movement is changing the way people think ...