Katharine Graham on Why Leaders Have to Care

I’m about half-way through reading Katharine Graham’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, “Personal History.”

One thing that’s struck me so far is that everyone in her life was fabulously wealthy, and they all had an ethic of making the world a better place and improving the lives of people who are struggling.

This was not performative philanthropy such as paying for a hospital wing and naming it after yourself, but actual policymaking.

So why do we have to care? Why do we automatically have to think about public issues and give back?

Because a democratic society is built on a very specific premise: faith in the common sense and dignity of ordinary people. If you believe that premise, then caring isn’t optional. It’s structural.

Compassion isn’t charity, it’s system maintenance.

◼️ When people are stronger, shocks are survivable.
◼️ When people are disposable, shocks cascade.

When legitimacy exists, cooperation persists even under strain.
Legitimacy is built when people feel seen, protected, and invested in—not managed or discarded.

⚫ You can demand obedience.
⚫ You can create alliances of expedience.

But if your relationships are based on power, then they will evaporate the moment your power weakens.

In this sense, generosity is the true flex. It signals confidence not just in your resources, but in the people around you.

What’s your generosity flex?

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This is the Philosophical Layer of my coaching—how ideas, ethics, and meaning shape leadership.

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It’s also one of my Big Ideas posts—where I explore how new ideas, good science, creativity, and bold leadership can help us build a better world.

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