Why Should I Give Away My Time? (#223)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
The other day, I was on a podcast promoting The Reluctant Disciple, my latest book. The host ended our conversation with a lightning round of questions. The last one was: “What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?”
“The greatest gift you can give someone is your time”
― Rick Warren (American pastor and author)
This Week’s Edition
Make time to donate your time to others. Giving time away seems to come back in incredible ways.
Clarify Your Thinking
While I’ve received a lot of great counsel throughout my career as an attorney, entrepreneur, and executive coach, the input that immediately came to mind in the podcast interview was something a friend, Tim, shared when I was starting my leadership development firm:
“I give away a lot of time, and it’s worth it!”
In his experience, professional time he has given away paid dividends. The individual receiving the free counsel benefitted in the moment and he benefitted in various ways over the long haul.
When I heard his advice, I was tempted to dismiss it because I didn’t understand how to apply it to my current situation. At the time, I needed revenue for my new business. I couldn’t possibly give my services away. I needed income…today!
Some of you might be in the same boat:
Robin, you’ve got to be kidding me…I can’t give away time I don’t have. I don’t even have time to:
- [fill in the blank]
- Eat lunch
- Go to the bathroom
- Go on vacation
Old Thinking: My time is valuable, and I need to be compensated for it. That’s how I make money, and I can’t just give it away.
New Thinking: Maybe I can reframe the idea of giving time away. Maybe I should see it as an investment. I’m curious how this might work.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Tim was wise. He knew that being generous with his time provided a double return. He not only helped someone else, but he also generated a feeling of goodwill in the community by selflessly helping others, which profited him in various ways.
He recounted a few of those ways:
- A company culture of service that increased retention
- A thankful father whose son had been the recipient of Tim’s time
- A new client who had received Tim’s free counsel years earlier
- A reputation of being a trusted advisor focused on more than money
You may already follow Tim’s advice by giving away your professional time. For those of you who are intrigued by taking your leadership to the next level by following Tim’s advice, consider this approach:
- Step 1: Say “yes” to requests to meet with you.
- Step 2: Schedule a short 15-minute call.
- Ask them how you can help.
- If you can help, do so.
- If someone else can help them, connect them to that person.
- Step 3: If you want to meet with them further, set up a 30-minute in person.
In following these three steps for many years, here is what I’ve found:
- I’m shocked at how it seems to come back to benefit me somehow without that ever being my original intent.
- I love supporting others and remembering all those who helped me along the way.
- It is fulfilling to help others. It feels like the “right” thing to do.
Boost Your Performance
What’s Your Opinion?
What is your approach to giving away your time? Share it with me at robin.pou@robinpou.com
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
