Nonprofit-Performance-360-Vol-2-No-2-Grant

Hugh Ballou

Successful Leaders Have a Passion for Giving Back

G iving is part of success. Transfor- mational Leaders focus on vision, build leaders on teams, transform vi- sion into reality, create a culture of ex- cellence, and leave a legacy. Giving back shows up in many forms. At CEOSpace International’s Business Growth Conferences, new members are told not to ask for anything, instead asking, “What are you doing, what do you need, and how can I help?” That reverse paradigm to the typical networking process of “ask, ask, ask” changes the results. People come to you asking what you need and are willing to help. It’s a culture of giving first. Receiving comes as a result of being a giver. Successful leaders have the DNA to give. The United Methodist Church challenges new members to give with prayers, presence, gifts, and service, a great model for anyone leading an enterprise. It’s not about money, but money is a symbol of commitment. My early-stage entrepreneur clients often ask to defer payment until after their financial success. That process doesn’t work. Without financial commitment, there is no success. Success depends on discipline and commitment, whether in your personal faith journey, musical excellence, or growing a multi-national enterprise. In 40 years as a musical conductor, I learned that part of leadership is teaching. The mes- sage in teaching music is the same as in teaching business success (leadership): suc- cess requires commitment and discipline – commitment to your enterprise, to your personal development, and to growing your effectiveness. All of these commitments re- sult in personal wealth. In Napoleon Hill’s natural laws of success and traits of wealth in Think and Grow Rich ,

3. Be a giver and learn to receive: Givers receive value through grate- ful receiving. Be a giver and a good receiver. 4. Give more than money: Many unsuccessful people focus on money as their answer. Your financial wealth is due to giving value to others which attracts money into your life. Seeking happiness does not bring happiness. Seeking money does not attract money. Give your time, your knowledge, and give of yourself. Model what success means. 5. Always be present: Show up, fully pres- ent, when you promise to. Act like you are paid to be there. Avoid being distracted by your money and personal success. Leave your phone, computer, and worries behind while you donate yourself. 6. Be passionate and show it: You are suc- cessful because you have a passion driving your success. Give your money, time, tal- ent, and service with passion. Takers might start out strong, but giving leaders finish in front, leaving value for everyone, especially themselves. Hugh Ballou, The Transformational Leadership Strate- gist™, works with visionary CEOs, pastors, and non- profit leaders and teams to develop purpose-driven collaboration, significantly increasing productivity, profits, and job satisfaction by dramatically decreas- ing confusion, conflicts, and under-functioning. Hugh employs leadership skills of the conductor in teaching relevant methods and showing leaders to create a high- performance culture that responds to the nuances of the leader, as skilled orchestras responded to his musical direction for 40 years.

he listed money as the last trait of true wealth because he felt it was the least important. His Laws of Attraction, Reciprocity, and Cause andEffect can be better understood by looking through the lens of giving. He emphasized that successful leaders always brought value to others in their work. Andrew Carnegie considered himself to be a failure if he died with his wealth, so he gave away money to bring continuing value to humankind. Think about all the organizations with the name “Carnegie.” Giving our wealth back is a potent dynamic that empowers our own success. Hill’s Laws of Attraction and Reciprocity provide a reverse benefit that comes through giving – giving allows us to help others and adds to our own success! That’s an added benefit, not the reason we give. Build your own success through personal giving. 1. Give what you can: Define a percent- age of your wealth to give away without self-promotion. As your financial success increases, your donation amount increases as a percentage of your financial wealth. 2. Don’t toot your own horn: Give as a part of your engagement process. Take your tax deductions and don’t make a big deal about it. Give for the right reasons.

SynerVision Leadership .org I 9