The Science of Generosity - And How It Can Fuel Your Career
During this season of giving, I’ve been thinking a lot about generosity, both as a personal value and a powerful force that shapes our careers.
This season naturally brings generosity to the forefront. We’re buying gifts, supporting causes that matter to us, and reflecting on what we can offer.
And in the social impact sector, generosity is a core part of our work. We show up for our missions, our teams, and our communities every day.
But we rarely talk about generosity as a career strategy.
In my experience coaching thousands of clients, I have seen that generosity is one of the most powerful drivers of career clarity and growth.
But generosity is also a place where we can easily get out of balance. If we over-give, it becomes draining. If we aren’t generous enough, we risk making our interactions feel transactional.
So today I want to share some ways to harness the power of generosity to create sustainable energy and momentum for your career, without depleting you.
Why We’re Wired to Be Generous
Generosity helped early humans survive. Sharing resources, cooperating, and helping one another increased the odds that we would survive and thrive, so our brains evolved to reward these behaviors.
When you help someone by answering a question, making an introduction, or offering advice, you spark a release of dopamine and oxytocin, brain chemicals that regulate connection, meaning, and motivation.
This is why even small acts of generosity feel surprisingly energizing. When we help others, we activate an internal system of motivation, energy, and purpose - in other words, we help ourselves through helping others.
This is especially true in our careers, where our interpersonal networks are so important. Helping others activates our intrinsic motivation to be collaborative and supportive, qualities that matter deeply in purpose-driven work.
A Generosity Framework: Givers, Takers, and Matchers
Science explains why generosity feels good; research on reciprocity styles explains how it plays out at work. In his book Give and Take, Adam Grant outlines three reciprocity styles:
Givers offer help without expecting anything in return.
Takers look to gain more than they contribute.
Matchers value reciprocity and an even exchange (“I’ll help you if you help me”)
Most of us shift depending on context, but we usually have a default style. Recognizing yours, and being aware of others you’ll encounter, can help you navigate your career with more intention.
Grant’s research also shows that of these three categories, givers who set clear boundaries (so they don’t over-give) are the most successful in their careers.
You may have felt this yourself: you want to be helpful, but you end up exhausted or resentful because you give endlessly without protecting your time, energy, or goals. Boundaries can help make your generosity more sustainable.
Where Generosity Goes Wrong
When generosity becomes transactional, it loses its power. You’ve probably experienced a version of this:
Someone “helps” you but immediately follows with an ask.
A networking message feels more like a pitch than a conversation.
A co-worker “checks in” but really wants something from you.
These interactions feel draining rather than energizing, because our internal warning system activates and our natural motivation to reciprocate shuts down.
This is also why so many people say they “hate networking.” What they really hate is transactional networking, and the feeling of obligation or performance that often comes along with it.
But when we can approach networking with generosity - listening for ways to help, focusing on learning about others, seeking ways to collaborate - it can be a game-changer.
Clients regularly tell me that when they stop thinking of networking as “asking for something” and start seeing it as building relationships and staying in touch, the entire experience changes and everything feels easier.
Generosity As Career Fuel
Generosity shows up in different ways across the stages of your career journey, as outlined in our Career Navigation Cycle.
1. Career Clarity
In the clarity stage, generosity most often looks like curiosity: reaching out to people not because you need something from them, but because you genuinely want to learn about their experience as you explore your next steps.
This can sound like:
“What drew you to this career path?”
“What parts of your job energize you the most?”
“If you were starting your career over, what would you do differently?”
These kinds of curious questions can spark new insights both for you and the people you’re talking with, by helping them reflect on their own career journey or notice patterns they hadn’t seen before.
At the same time, clarity requires space. Over-giving can become a distraction from your own reflection. Setting boundaries here might look like:
Limiting yourself to a few exploratory conversations each month
Blocking dedicated time for your own thinking and processing
Saying no to opportunities or conversations that aren’t aligned with what you’re exploring
Keeping this balance will help you prioritize your own career development and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.
2. Career Transition
During a job search, generosity can be a great source of energy and momentum.
People are more likely to support your transition by making introductions, sharing advice, and offering encouragement when you’ve shown them generosity. And helping others during your own search can give you a sense of purpose and forward movement.
A few examples of what this can look like:
Sending someone an article that connects to a challenge they mentioned.
Sharing what you’re learning or experiencing (yes, even on LinkedIn!).
Introducing two people who might benefit from knowing each other.
Forwarding a job that’s not right for you to someone who’d be great for it.
Checking in on another job seeker to ask how they’re doing, or forming an accountability group to support each other along the way.
These generous acts build trust, strengthen relationships, and often come back to you in unexpected ways, both during your search and long afterward.
3. Leadership Growth
Generous leaders empower and develop their teams. They share credit, offer feedback, and make space for others to step up and stretch into their potential.
But generous leadership is not about giving endlessly. That can lead to burnout, for you and your team.
The most effective leaders give strategically to fuel the growth of their teams.
They notice when they might be over-giving by stepping in too quickly or solving problems themselves, and instead ask questions like:
Does this actually need my involvement?
How can I give support without taking over?
What would empower this person to take the next step?
Often, the most generous thing a leader can do is step back just enough so someone else can step forward. This approach builds trust and psychological safety, two of the strongest predictors of high-performing teams.
Practicing Sustainable Generosity
As you move through this season, I encourage you to consider:
What’s one small act of career generosity you can offer this month?
And what’s one way you can ensure you’re not over-giving this holiday season, so that you can be at your best for yourself and others?
I’d love to hear what you decide.
As we close out the year, I hope you’ll give yourself permission to practice generosity in a way that feels meaningful, energizing, and sustainable for you.
And on behalf of our team, I’m sending our best wishes for a happy holiday season.
About The Author
Erin Ewart is the founder of Careers for Social Impact and a social sector career and leadership coach. She partners with social impact leaders to help them grow their careers, their leadership, and their impact.