146: The Most Influential Leadership Style in 2025 Beyond Technical Skills | Joe Davis

Mar 25, 2025

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Being a successful leader for your company in a world full of disruption means building more than your technical skills.

Yes, you must deliver results, but to run a successful business, you need people. And people today want leaders who can and will work to see beyond themselves and only the bottom line.

In today's episode, we’re joined by Joe Davis. He’s the former Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group, which is one of the pioneers in business strategy, and he’s now a speaker and the author of the book The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain.

In this conversation, you will learn:

What it means to be a generous leader
Why being vulnerable with your staff is crucial to growing your team
The difference between command-and-control to people-centered leadership
And everything else that Joe considers crucial for effective leadership based on his many years in leadership

Episode Highlights:

00:07 – Leadership Today: Not Complicated, Just Different – How technology, social media, and blurred work-life boundaries have changed leadership expectations.

02:04 – Generous Leadership Defined – Giving of oneself to help others grow and thrive, beyond just being nice.

03:22 – From Command-and-Control to People-Centered Leadership – Moving from authority to inspiring and unlocking human potential.

07:54 – The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership – How admitting uncertainty strengthens trust and collaboration.

12:08 – Transparency vs. Full Transparency – Knowing when full transparency may not be wise.

21:23 – The Importance of Listening – A pivotal moment on the value of letting others fully express their thoughts.

23:42 – CEO Whisperers: How Top Consultants Win Trust – Gaining trust by understanding what CEOs don’t yet know.

36:13 – Small Acts, Big Impact: United Airlines Captain’s Story – Scott Kirby’s personal check-in with Black pilots after George Floyd’s murder.

19:44 – Humanizing Leadership – Recognizing employees as people first to create loyalty and engagement.

41:58 – The Power of Recognition – How a simple thank-you note transforms workplace culture.

Resources Referenced:

Joe Davis’ book - https://www.amazon.com/Generous-Leader-Ways-Yourself-Everyones/dp/1523006617

Joe Davis’ website - https://www.joedavis.com/

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) - https://www.bcg.com/

Arne Sorenson's COVID-19 Message - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgAMdCV9fxc

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Website: www.learnit.com

Email: podcast@learnit.com