Hello everyone,
Only two seeds left on our journey through Leadership Seeds—Harvesting the Transformative Lessons of Macie and the Magic Veggies. Today, it’s time for the Bounty Seed.
Like the others we’ve explored (Growth, Gratitude, Content, Wisdom, Discovery, Passion, Relationships, Process, Recognition, Harvest), this seed plays a significant role in helping us grow as leaders by embracing the practice of sharing our successes and achievements with others, recognizing that leadership is as much about uplifting others as it is about personal accomplishment.
A line from the story: Look, Grandpa, look! Here are all the veggies that I grew!
In Macie and the Magic Veggies, Macie proudly shares her first fruits—well, actually, first veggies—of her labor with Grandpa. This act of sharing her bounty showcases her accomplishment and illustrates the joy and importance of sharing success. Her first act after becoming a farmer is to share!
As an early leader, I was a bit of a hoarder. By that, I mean I could be less than generous with sharing my successes. Some of this stemmed during my training as a new management consultant, where there was value (or at least perceived value) in having answers that nobody else did. I remember one of my managers telling me, “That’s why they bring us in. We know what they don’t and that’s why we get paid the big bucks.” Well, I may have taken that a little too literally as I progressed through the ranks. At the time, knowledge was power, and those at the top were expected to keep it to themselves.
As a more seasoned leader, I’ve seen how sharing successes and achievements with others fosters a sense of community and collaboration. Most importantly, I realized that by freely sharing what I learned from my successes (and failures!), others could benefit and grow in ways that I could never imagine.
And here’s the thing: the power of generosity will come back to you. But here’s the secret that I have found (see, I’m sharing right now!): THE LESS YOU EXPECT, THE MORE YOU WILL RECEIVE.
This was very difficult for me to process at first. However, as I have reflected on my career journey and documented my challenges and triumphs, I have proven to myself time and again that this is indeed the case.
In 2001, while founding a nonprofit to support workforce development, I created a mantra for the organization: LEARN-CONTRIBUTE-GROW to guide the expectations of how we wanted members to embrace the principles of our volunteer-driven organization. We all had something we could learn from each other, contribute to help each other, and in so doing, would grow as individuals and an organization.
I saw the power of this approach as we helped hundreds of professionals transition to new careers, start businesses, become teachers, and join other nonprofits. I adopted those three words and have used them personally ever since. (In fact, it’s right there on my LinkedIn banner). For me, “contribute” was always about being grateful for and sharing the bounty in my life, whether it was knowledge, talent, expertise, experience, connections, or resources—whatever I had to give.
Here are a few ways to plant and nurture the Bounty Seed within your leadership style and organizational culture:
Create a Culture of Generosity
Foster an environment where generosity is valued and practiced. Encourage team members to support and uplift each other, celebrating not just their own successes but also the successes of their colleagues.
Promote Knowledge Sharing
Encourage team members to share their insights and experiences. This can be through regular meetings, workshops, or informal discussions. Sharing knowledge helps everyone grow and improves the overall performance of the team.
As we continue to explore the Macieverse through these Leadership Seeds, let’s remember the importance of sharing our bounty. Recognizing and celebrating the collective achievements of our teams not only strengthens our bonds but also sets the stage for future successes.
💬 What strategies have you found effective in fostering a culture of generosity?
Let’s grow together by sharing the value of our collective bounty! ✨🥕🫐💚
Peter Contardo
