Leaders are generous. They give of themselves, their creativity, their caring, their energy, their vision…the best leaders are always assessing how they’re doing, and looking for feedback to be better, to serve bigger.
I go back to my favorite definition of leadership: authentic self-expression creating value for self and others.
Don’t you just love that? The “authentic self-expression” part gives permission to be totally unique, and stake your claim in this world of infinite choices, of staggering competition and change.
And then to “create” is an awesome responsibility. Despite the fact that we are all creators of the life we lead, a leader must create mindfully, purposefully, and with vulnerability by being a living expression of the beliefs and values that drive and motivate him/herself and the followers who follow (in order to be a leader, by definition you must have followers, at your job or otherwise!).
I repeat: leaders are generous. They give their time, money, energy, talent, passion and commitment to make their world a better place. The organizations that make the annual lists of “Best Places to Work” made a decision to operate on generosity that create value for themselves and others…so many of them donate their employees’ time and energy for the causes and projects that they care about. Larger corporations set up foundations to channel funds to support causes they embrace.
This giving is both focused and global, in that the choice of where to funnel assets are carefully chosen based on values, and then global in that the contribution fits in to a bigger plan which affects change way beyond the scope of the giving.
My Literacy Fundraiser is one of my pet causes because it satisfies so many of my values! I love to read, and as a child I learned about 
and loved horses through books, and reading stimulated my imagination and opened vistas that the real world just didn’t provide. I love kids, and although I don’t have my own, I know that my future, our future, lies with the children.
And I love horses – always have! I came out of the womb passionately loving horses, and The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation not only provides books to first and fourth graders to encourage reading, but then gives them a live event, a hands-on experience with horses. They get to feed them, pet them, and learn about all the many facets of horses and living partnership with humans. What can be better than that?
So please be a leader in your life right now – please support my fundraising drive for The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation. If you can’t come to the trailride, please donate whatever you can ($10 provides this lovely program for one child) by clicking here: www.lilliancoury.com/trailridefundraiser11
Or lead by example and right now donate your money or time or talent to something you believe in, care about, and want to make a difference. No matter where you are in the hierarchy of business or in life, you are a leader…it’s up to you how big you make your sphere of influence!
Give…lead…it’s all the same!
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