In this concise leadership monologue, the speaker argues that effective leaders grow their power by giving—unconditionally sharing love, respect, and wisdom—rather than hoarding it. Citing Lao‑tzu’s teaching that a wise man’s treasure grows the more he gives, the speaker frames sharing as the engine of personal and organizational expansion. The talk references Shelley Kirkpatrick and Edwin Locke (via The Leader’s Companion) to describe power as an expandable pie: when leaders distribute power, their own influence increases. Modern cultural trends of demanding respect and love in exchange are critiqued as backward. A historical illustration is offered through Civil‑War hero Joshua Chamberlain, whose speech on the centennial of Lincoln’s birth emphasizes that true greatness arises from shared, collective effort. The speaker concludes with a distilled maxim: “Leadership is sharing.”
Chapters
Lead by sharing, not accumulating. And I mean share unconditionally, with absolutely no expectation of return. Lao-tzu said, "The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own." You grow as a leader and as a person in direct proportion with what you're willing to share with others. You dedicate yourself to bringing out the best in others, not because you expect anything from them, but because that's how you extend your best self. Everything is backwards today. People demand respect before they offer it. They only love when they think they'll get love in return. They feel entitled to a certain price just for their presence before they demonstrate their value. There are certain things that only expand through sharing. In these areas, you only receive when you're willing to give. And you receive the most when you expect absolutely nothing in return. As a person and as a leader, 3 things you should give unconditionally are love, respect, and wisdom. You expand your power as a leader by expanding the power of others. And you do this by giving love, respect, and wisdom unconditionally. You've got to trust that people will take what you give them and do something useful with it, whether it ever comes back to you directly or not. What you can teach and what you're willing to share are your most valuable resources as a leader. Your own power, your effectiveness as a leader, only expands through sharing. Shelley Kirkpatrick and Edwin Locke explain in an article quoted in The Leader's Companion, power is an expandable pie, not a fixed sum. Effective leaders give power to others as a means of increasing their own power. Effective leaders do not see power as something that is competed for, but rather as something that can be distributed to followers without detracting from their own power. There is nothing more inspiring to your followers than your commitment to helping them become more powerful. One of the leaders I admire most is a neighbor of mine. The legendary Civil War hero Joshua Chamberlain. Well, it might be more accurate to say that he once lived a couple blocks from where I live now. After the war, Chamberlain became governor of Maine, and he was a very popular speaker at Civil War reunions and commemorative events. This is from his speech at the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth: Great crises in human affairs call out the great in men. But true greatness is not in nor of the single self. It is of that larger personality, that shared and sharing life with others, in which each giving of his best for their betterment, we are greater than ourselves. Look for opportunities for sharing. Sharing is the action of expanding power. Through sharing, each of us becomes greater than ourselves. I can sum up everything I know about leadership with this simple phrase: Leadership is sharing. A leader shares.
