Leadership Beyond the Organization: Giving Power Away to Your City

Across 100-plus episodes, one thread has continually surfaced without ever being fully pulled: place. In this episode, Rob and David finally pull on that thread, asking a deceptively simple question: How does where you lead actually shape the way you lead? For leaders whose work has become increasingly remote, individualized, and untethered, it’s a question that gets to the very purpose of business.

Drawing on insights from the State of Leadership Report, Rob and David explore why Giving Power Away ranks as the lowest of the four qualities of Just Leadership. They unpack the gap between investing in a community and truly measuring its impact, challenge the limits of the traditional “service day” model, and invite leaders to adopt a different posture—one of humility, curiosity, and learning. Through the story of 11 Ten Leadership’s Just Fund, they share how giving away decision-making power to trusted community leaders has transformed not only their approach to generosity, but also their understanding of leadership itself.

This conversation brings the vision of Proverbs 11:10 to life—leaders using their influence so their cities can flourish. If you’ve ever felt there has to be more to leadership than growing your organization, this episode is an invitation to expand your vision, invest more deeply in the place you lead, and discover what your own “Just Fund” could look like.

TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Welcome

02:00 – Are leaders tethered to place?

03:00 – The Proverbs 11:10 foundation

08:00 – State of Leadership Report findings

10:30 – Community impact as a success metric

13:30 – Beyond the service day

14:30 – The posture of a learner

16:00 – The Just Fund

21:00 – The cost — and why it’s worth it