Generosity Sets the Stage
String Music: A Newsletter from Dr. Hunter Taylor
Generosity Sets the Stage
The Invitation
Recently, I had the privilege of guest speaking at a summit at Wake Forest University.
From the moment I was invited, I could tell this wasn’t transactional.
The welcome was thoughtful.
The format was intentional.
Even the seating arrangements were designed so that guest speakers were placed alongside one another in ways that sparked real conversation.
Nothing felt accidental.
By the time I stepped into the room, I didn’t just feel invited.
I felt entrusted.
And something subtle happened in me:
I wanted to bring my best.
Not because I was obligated.
But because someone had clearly given theirs.
Generosity had set the stage.
The Breakfast
I see the same thing in a local book club I attend.
The organizer makes breakfast for the entire group when we meet.
He could easily grab donuts from the local store down the road.
He doesn’t.
He spends the previous day meal-prepping.
One of the best mornings was a breakfast taco dish.
He had marinated sausage in jalapeños and spices the day before.
Sweet potatoes served as the base inside the tortillas.
The sausage layered on top.
Finished with salsa he’d picked up on an out-of-town trip.
It was phenomenal.
Not just because of the taste.
Because it signaled something.
He gave his best to begin the session.
The rest of us should give ours in return — in participation, curiosity, conversation.
The food wasn’t the point.
The preparation was.
Generosity had set the stage.
The Leadership Lesson
We often pride ourselves on consistency.
Delivering.
Producing.
Handling volume.
But I’m starting to wonder if the higher standard isn’t consistency of improvement.
Not just getting it done.
But giving your best.
When you raise the bar of care — in preparation, in thoughtfulness, in effort — something changes in the room.
People sit up straighter.
They listen more closely.
They contribute more fully.
Because excellence, when it’s given freely, creates a kind of healthy indebtedness.
Not pressure.
Responsibility.
Generosity sets the stage for others to rise.
Your Challenge
Look at what you’re already stewarding.
A team.
A class.
A meeting.
A home.
A friendship.
Where have you settled for “good enough” because volume has increased?
What would it look like to master the few instead of completing the many?
To take pride not in how much you handle — but in how well you prepare?
Devote more time to the quality of what you’ve already said yes to.
Fewer things.
Greater care.
That’s how you create rooms where people bring their best.
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