Gianpiero Petriglieri is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD and is listed among the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world.

Joe Davis is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group, and the author of The Generous Leader.

Segment 1 featuring Gianpiero Petriglieri:

[9:10] “We are neither incompetent or not malevolent; we are just caught within a model of leadership which really doesn't describe the sort of leadership we want to see in the world and that we ourselves would like to see in the world. " The overwhelmingly used type of leadership is the dominant model. It is called this not just because it is a dominant form of leadership across organizations but also because it is dominant in nature. Gianpiero Petriglieri calls out this model as narrow and deceiving, focusing to much on attention and getting other people to do what you want. It’s used often, but it is the base of every complaint people have with leadership. Why are we still using it?

[17:41] “In my experience, people don’t click when they see someone that fits a model; they click when they see someone that makes them feel understood and motivated.” As Gianpiero discusses his perspective and research, he points out that it’s not really about what people CALL leadership but WHAT people call leadership. Listen for that clear distinction. What makes people follow, listen, and trust a leader?

[22:21] “Leadership is not inside people. It’s between people.” Leadership is a relationship. Gianpiero comments, we are aspiring to be more caring and generous in other relationships; why wouldn't you want to integrate those as a leader?

[34:49] “What is it that you’re worried about? What would it take for you to get less worried?” What is holding us back from making the shift away from dominant leadership? Gianpiero challenges that we are afraid to be vulnerable, afraid to be hurt, and ultimately afraid people will think we are “soft”. He ends his segment by calling out leaders to make love a part of the job, even if its scary and even if its hard.

Segment 2 featuring Joe Davis:

[58:46] “You have to recognize that your people are humans. They are not cogs in the wheel.” As Joe Davis explains the 7 ways to give of yourself from his book, The Generous Leader, Marcel and Joe dive into #2: Generous Communication. Here Marcel reads an email in which Joe generously and deeply connected with his employees amidst the pandemic. In this touching communication, Joe also shares other practical tips: keep it short and accessible, ask questions, and listen.

[1:04:20] “An Action Ally is someone who is paving the way, opening the door, and creating opportunities for someone else to walk through and perform.” In chapter 5, Joe discusses allyship; you can wear the button, you can hit diversity metrics, but how can you be an action ally? Joe explains how you can support, mentor, and be an ally.

[1:10:20] “If you are not inspiring them, they are gonna walk. You need more of the best to really drive results.” How are generous leadership and the bottom line connected? Well, you need your employees and your team, and you need them to be allin, inspired, and motivated.

[1:13:13] “It’s not all about you. You are not the solution to all the answers. You have to do it with and through leveraging all of your people.” How do you make the transition to generous leadership? Ask questions, respect what your people have to say, and do small acts of appreciation! The world is changing, and the world is blurred. Connection is more important than ever.

Links to the episode:

—Marcel's website: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/gianp...
—Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
—iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269lo...
—Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49zm...

About the Show

The Love in Action Podcast is part of a global movement that inspires leaders to reimagine the conditions necessary for creating humancentered and humane workplaces where people and businesses flourish. The show is now heard in 160 countries and is ranked in the top 2% of all podcasts. Episodes are published every Thursday and can be heard on your favorite podcast platform. If you like what you hear, be sure to leave us a review on iTunes!

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As we challenge current management thinking and practices and build skills around human leadership and humancentered work cultures, we would be delighted to accept your sponsorship for future episodes. If interested, contact Marcel here: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/contact/