Aristotle plus generosity: How to soften the hard-boiled leader
Excerpted from The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain, by Joe Davis. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2024). I was on a plane, the regular shuttle between Boston and Washington, DC, sitting next to Steve, who had been my mentor since the day I joined BCG (Boston Consulting Group). We were in the bulkhead seats, on the right side of the plane. Yes, I do recall this detail; it was a vivid moment for me. He and I were on our way to DC to house hunt and open BCG’s Washington, DC, office, an office that had been a year in the planning. He was a senior partner; I was a manager at the time. I had already moved my family to DC to start two of my children in school. Steve and his spouse were going to follow sometime in the fall. Our plane took off, and we were on our way when Steve looked over at me. “Joe, rather than risk you hearing this secondhand, I wanted to let you …
