EP #294 10 Attitudes Generous Leaders MUST Have
We say skills get you hired, but attitude keeps you there and makes you irreplaceable.
I am going to walk you through 10 essential attitudes that create generous workplace cultures where tension stays low, trust builds fast, morale stays high, and people actually want to show up every day. These attitudes cannot be faked long-term, they must be cultivated personally first, but when enough people bring them consistently, generosity becomes the default behavior across the team.paste.txt
I share stories from service interactions that showed me perfect attitudes versus toxic ones, and explain how the same dynamics play out in corporate teams. You’ll here about lifting the environment with positivity, staying composed in chaos, treating people with respect, taking real ownership, looking for solutions first, showing up with real effort, holding high standards, learning fast under pressure, listening before acting, and being easy to work with. I show how each attitude creates emotional space for generosity to flow naturally.paste.txt
You will walk away with three specific challenges to build these attitudes in yourself and your team, plus the understanding that you do not need 100% buy-in, just a critical mass of people choosing better mindsets every day.
*Enroll in the “Feeling Generous” Email course 📧
Have a generous attitude. 😁
What You'll Learn in Today's Episode:
Why attitude trumps skills in building generous workplace culture, even though skills can be taught.
How I build habits around one-off situations and repeat them long after they stop serving the team.
Why attitude is a personal decision that creates contagious positivity or negativity.
How lifting the environment sets the tone for everything else in generous culture.
Why choosing positivity even on tough days gives everyone more capacity to be generous.
How negativity drains collective energy while good attitudes strengthen team focus.
Why staying composed in chaos creates space for empathy and teamwork.
How clear heads during deadlines and calm voices in tense moments anchor the team.
Why poise prevents teams from growing apart during high-pressure situations.
How treating people with respect is the baseline of every generous interaction.
Why saying thank you, giving credit freely, and watching your tone matter even when rushing.
How respect with attention and intention builds trust faster than any policy.
Why taking real ownership and looking for solutions first moves teams forward.
How fixing small problems early prevents blame games and bigger issues later.
Why solution thinking is generous because it gives everyone a chance to contribute.
How showing up with real effort, holding standards, and learning fast under pressure builds trust.
Why steady drive without energy drain makes teams reliable and productive.
How visible standards show people what excellence looks like without preaching.
Why listening before acting and being easy to work with creates smooth team flow.
How asking clarifying questions reduces repetition and improves execution.
Why deciding to be kinder and more collaborative lifts everyone’s contribution.
Quotes Worth Sharing:
"Skills get you hired, but attitude keeps you there and makes you irreplaceable."
Bob DePasquale
"You cannot be generous from a place of resentment, but if you are generous from a place of growth or positivity, it gives other people the opportunity to have a good time too."
Bob DePasquale
"Composure will create that space for empathetic thinking and growing together instead of growing apart."
Bob DePasquale
"Respect is clearly generosity with your intentions. It is being clear, addressing people by name, watching your tone when things get stressful."
Bob DePasquale
"Solution thinking is generous because now you are offering the opportunity for people to contribute to something great."
Bob DePasquale
"Effort is generosity with your energy. You are going to give great effort, that is why we always celebrate effort, not just results."
Bob DePasquale
"Standards are very visible. You can see the work that someone puts in, and it shows others what to believe."
Bob DePasquale
"Pressure makes diamonds. If you believe you can learn in pressure-filled situations, you improve for the team’s benefit."
Bob DePasquale
"Listening before you move is giving them your attention generously because you value their perspective enough to understand it first."
Bob DePasquale
"Who is the hardest person for you to work with? Change yourself so you can be easier to work with for them."
Bob DePasquale
Resources from Today’s Episode:
How Positive Attitudes Create High-Performing Teams – Harvard Business Review
Shows research on how one positive team member can boost performance by 31% through emotional contagion.
Explains why attitudes spread faster than skills and create cultures where generosity becomes default.The Ripple Effect of Attitude in Workplace Culture – Forbes
Details how leaders’ attitudes spread to entire teams within weeks, creating either toxic or thriving environments.
Highlights why starting with personal mindset shifts creates outsized culture change.
My Book - Personal Finance in a Public World
Related Episodes: