5 Practices of Go-Giver Leaders
Begin every interaction by asking yourself, “How might I give, rather than how can I take?”
Teams build protective barriers against taking-leaders, but giving-leaders connect.
5 practices of Go-Giver Leaders*:
- Don’t get it backwards: don’t start thinking you’re the deal.
- Great leadership is never about the leader.
- Great leadership is about holding people up.
- The best way to increase your influence is to give it away.
- The more you give, the more you have.
I asked Bob Burg, co-author with John David Mann of, “The Go-Giver Leader,” what to look for in a leader. Among other things, he said, “Listen for ‘we’ language.”
Go-Giver leaders build strong relationships.
Go-Giver Leader as relationship builder:
#1. It’s about others, not you.
“After competence and character, Go-Giver Leaders know it’s all about others.” Bob Burg
Go-Giver Leaders know the classic tension between results and relationships is resolved by achieving results through relationships. It’s not only possible to build strong relationship with teammates, it’s necessary.
#2. Over-come nervousness.
Don’t be nervous about building relationships with your teammates. “When we can focus on the value we bring to this other person, we become less concerned with ourselves.” Bob Burg
#3. Let go the idea that you already understand.
“Go-Giver Leaders take responsibility to understand where others are coming from and clarify where they are coming from.” Bob Burg
In order to build strong relationships, “Understand that you might not know where people are coming from. Stay open to the possibility that you don’t know what you think you know.”
Bob reminded me of a famous Mark Twain quote. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Favorite quotes:
“You can lead only as far as you grow.”
Clip from my interview with Bob:
Giving Leadership:
What comes to mind when you read the phrase, “Go-Giver Leader?”
How might leaders move toward becoming Go-Giver Leaders?
*This post is based on my conversation with Bob Burg, co-author with John David Mann of, “The Go-Giver Leader.” (Previously published as It’s Not About You.)
Follow Bob on twitter: @BobBurg
Bob’s Website: The Go-Giver
Very well written.
My finding also says – A good leader is a good follower. Only those people who follow other people who are better than them and let them do the job in which their team member is an expert, are good leaders/
Dan, It comes down to “who butters whose bread”! When all parties give their all and work together we all are givers! The takers tend to let others do everything and become factors taking the project down from the highest level achieveable. Definitely becomes a challenge to balance giving and taking! Development of total unity is the ultimate of giving and we all become givers. Beyond unity the team falters and runs a muck, going everywhere but where it needs too!
Just to say point 3 Great Leadership is about holding people up made me read it twice. Their is a British idiom holding people up, meaning to stop them from carrying on their path. “The bus was stopped at the junction and that held me up getting here”
I’m pretty sure you meant raise them up, empower them, make them more confident.
I love reading your work. I was a leader for 10 years and felt I could be doing better, having changed careers and now being led its a learning experience and this along with your column gives me a new perspective and means I am growing for the future. Very grateful for this.
Go-Giver Leader; my thoughts: go to-get-her leader …go together leader! Share the knowledge and share the ‘professional’ love!
#3. Let go the idea that you already understand. We will never know what another person is struggling with (each day) and the best we can do is try to understand. What i do know, everyone is on their own journey; don’t take it personally, and don’t judge. One can lead up, lead down, or lead sideways I try to lead by example…And, love it when I learn by example. Continually learning from every angle!
I love the post today, Dan, thanks for the ‘good news’
Thus great stuff and provoking thoughts and good learning in life is lovely. The more you give, the more you have.