Let's address the elephant in the room: Doesn't this make you selfish?
No. It makes you sustainable.
You can't pour from an empty cup. When you're burned out, resentful, and undervalued, you're no good to anyone—not your team, not your family, not yourself. Strategic generosity isn't about becoming selfish. It's about being generous from a position of strength rather than desperation.
Consider this: Who can make a bigger positive impact? The overlooked nice person who burns out after five years, or the strategic leader who builds influence and uses it to create better workplaces for everyone?
Amy chose the latter. Within a year of implementing these principles, she not only got promoted but became known as the manager who protected her team's time and taught them to value themselves. She became the leader she wished she'd had.