The Generous Leader

“Unlocks deep insight into what it takes to become the kind of leader that leaves a legacy far beyond business results. Most people will remember the great leaders not for what they did for the business but what they did for them, how they made them feel. The generous leader is inside all of us.”
—Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss and Co.

“Through real-life examples, Joe Davis provides today’s leader with an actionable guide to building leadership skills that benefit everyone.”
—Joaquin Duato, CEO, Johnson & Johnson

“This book is both inspiring and entertaining. You’ll find Joe’s very personal stories about leadership during external shocks and concrete action plans immensely useful—they will make you an even better leader!”
—Christoph Schweizer, CEO, Boston Consulting Group

“Joe Davis has led with generosity his entire career. Now he has given us a compelling and invaluable guide to leadership that changes lives. These are times that call for generous leadership.”
—Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal

“As a woman of color, working for Joe turned my stereotypical expectations of white male leadership upside down. Joe’s book holds all of these lessons and more—his actionable examples and advice will make you a stronger leader, friend, ally, spouse, parent, and collaborator in every arena.”
—Jane Park, founder and CEO, Tokki

“A generous leader is an authentic leader, and Joe Davis demonstrates his authenticity through the words and actions included in his story. By leading the reader through a journey of learning, challenges, successes, and failures, Joe models how he brings his whole self to work—humbly, fully, unabashedly—and helps others unlock their potential. A great read for leaders willing to sit around the kitchen table and give of themselves to grow others.”
—Ashley M. Grice, CEO and Managing Director, BCG BrightHouse

“I have worked closely with Joe at Boston Consulting Group, and I have seen his philosophy and ethos of generous leadership in action. The Generous Leader reflects the empathy, humanity, selfless leadership, and experienced insights of the author and those he has served.”
—Rony Abovitz, founder of MAKO Surgical, Magic Leap, Sun and Thunder, and SynthBee

Joe Davis is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He is a former Head of BCG in North America and a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee, where he oversaw BCG’s operations in the US, Canada, and Mexico. In 2011, he was recognized as one of the Top 25 Consultants of the year.

In The Generous Leader, Joe shares a story from early in his career where a mentor identified his key strength: the ability to connect with anyone. This insight, that he excelled not in isolation but through collaboration, became the foundation of a successful career at BCG spanning over 35 years. During his tenure, he worked in multiple offices globally, opened and grew new offices, started businesses, and contributed significantly to the firm’s expansion. For over three decades, his passion for people and their development has inspired teams to achieve exceptional collaborative results for BCG and its clients.

In line with his commitment to championing people and their dreams, Joe currently serves as Chair of BCG’s Center for Inclusion and Equity. He is also a co-founding Steering Committee member of CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion and the Southern Communities Initiative.

Joe is a graduate of Whitman College, where he currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees. He previously served as Vice Chair of B Capital Group and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He is married to Sarah, whom he met at Whitman College, and they have four children, their partners, and seven grandchildren. When not traveling for work or family, Joe finds his moving meditation in running or gardening.

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