Humility and hubris

If you aren’t willing to continue learning, you aren’t ready to lead and not lead effectively. John Wooden said, “when I am done learning, I am done.” Humility is being aware that we are all a constant work in progress. No one knows everything about anything; a willingness to acknowledge that we don’t know what we don’t know and a willingness to learn is a strength. Yet as we progress through our life and careers, we often stop seeking new opportunities to expand our knowledge bases, which improves our thought process in many ways.

The contrast between humility and hubris in today’s social environment is interesting. Many senior leaders lack humility and are reluctant to admit that they don’t know what they don’t know and refuse to incorporate feedback from the younger generation. Conversely, many in the younger generation discount lived experiences and exhibit hubris because they already know it all. The truth is that anyone can learn something from anyone in the right situation.

Regardless of age, anytime I hear someone says, “for those of you who are knowledgeable (insert any subject), this will make sense to you.” I immediately question it. Assuming that someone is incapable of understanding or willing to learn about something is a clear sign of arrogant hubris. It says that the person speaking doesn’t have the patience, ability, or willingness to explain themselves or educate others.

Albert Einstien said, “if you can’t simply explain something, you don’t understand it well enough. Yet many leaders mistakenly see this tactic as a sign of strength, which couldn’t be further from the truth. When leaders take the time to communicate with others in an attempt for shared learning, they create opportunities to build stronger relationships through more shared context, leading to greater shared understanding and equity in the working relationship.?

This is more relevant than ever because “we are now at the inflection point where the idea of making globalization work for more people needs to be supported with action.” (Lane, H, Maznevski, M.L. 2019) The ability to bridge the gap between where we are to where we need to go means senior leaders reduce their hubris by showing more humility to continue to learn and an increased willingness to teach, in addition to younger emerging leaders showing less hubris and more humility in a desire to explore areas of growth for expanding their knowledge, skills, and abilities.?

When leaders identify those willing to learn and invest resources to support their development, it increases their effectiveness to lead. And your job as a leader is to help educate and empower others. As an individual contributor just starting your career, the ability to be receptive to learning is the best thing you can do. Remember, feedback is a gift. People invest time to help others when they care about their development because leaders lead best when leaders continue to learn.??

Lane, Henry W.; Maznevski, Martha L. International Management Behavior. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved May 19th, 2023, from Kindle Edition.?