ABSTRACT
How do envy and generosity impact leaders? Envy is resentment and hostility. What drives envy is the desire to access something of fundamental value: self-confidence, charm, beauty, popularity, and other qualities of the Self. Envy is not about ownership and material possession, but has a more existential character and manifests in many forms. Generosity can be a way of countering your own envy. Comparison is inescapable in Western society, which is based on capitalism and promotes competition. Despite the fact that it is such a widespread phenomenon, envy is very difficult to assess and even more difficult to understand through self-reports, because people rarely want to talk about their envy. Therefore, it is often repressed or denied. Envy and generosity form two sides of the same coin: they depend on connection with others. Envy is most significant if it falls in a person’s area of identification. Generosity boosts creativity. It requires continuous stimulation of your colleagues to sense the freedom to be totally happy for another person.
