12.7. LEADERSHIP THAT IS RELATIVELY FREE OF EGO

The interactive approach to leadership is not concerned merely with making the deal. This is key, because if who you are gets defined according to the current rate of exchange in a marketplace, then the accommodation you make with the world will distract you, one degree at a time, from what matters. This is how the commercialized version of what it means to be a person brings people under its spell.[]

True leaders do not lead because they are expecting something in return. They lead because they have something to give. They may get something back, but this is a contingent event, not the goal. They give with a spirit of generosity. They are relatively ego free.

At their best, interactive leaders ...

Get The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative, Revised and Updated now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.