Lessons on Humility.

Humility is a trait that many do not associate with strong, effective leaders; rather, it is typically associated with weakness, timidity, and indecisiveness. Experienced leaders know that humility amplifies all other positive leadership traits and principles. Conversely, they know that without humility, practically all other strengths and positive attributes become greatly diminished, often to the point where they are no longer visible to others.

Is it possible to be an effective leader without being humble? Absolutely…but it is much more difficult and rarely sustainable. Leaders who lack humility are almost always called into question by those they work with regarding their true motives and agendas. In my opinion, the presence of humility is also a very accurate indicator of authenticity in someone who claims to be a “servant leader.”

A recent study by the research firm, Catalyst confirms this, showing that humility is one of four essential leadership factors for creating an environment in which employees from different demographic backgrounds feel included. In a survey of a large sample of workers from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico, and the U.S., it was discovered that employees responded positively when they observed selfless and altruistic behavior in their leaders.

Actions characteristic of humility include:

• Acts of humility, such as admitting mistakes and seeking criticism.
• Encouraging and empowering all members of the team to learn and develop.
• Acts of moral courage—the willingness to take personal risks to stand up for what’s right, even if it is not popular.
• Holding employees accountable for results—they were more likely to report feeling included in their work teams.

The study also found that employees who perceived this type of behavior from their leaders also reported being more willing to “think outside the box” and suggest new ways of doing things to make the team function more effectively. And, they were more likely to become “team players” and willing to go beyond the call of duty, such as voluntarily picking up the slack for sick or overwhelmed teammates.

Acquiring Humility

I believe that of all the virtues that are essential for successful leadership, humility is the one that elicits the most lip service—and typically the least consistency in action. True humility is a hard-won virtue and one that requires a relentless and honest self-assessment of one’s true character, strengths, and weaknesses. Such a self-assessment is often difficult, because it causes us to acknowledge our imperfections. It requires that we quickly and openly admit when we are wrong, and to be able to change directions without regard for our ego or fear of “losing face” among colleagues. Humility counsels us to put others first in thought, word, and deed—it is the antithesis of the narcissistic self-promotion so common today among many senior leaders in all types of organizations.

Researchers Bradley Owens and David Hekman have done groundbreaking research studying humble leadership in the military, in manufacturing, or even in ministry. They’ve concluded that the main attribute of a humble leader is his willingness to admit his mistakes and limitations.

A good leader is driven and constantly strives for excellence. Humility is one of the forces that pushes good leaders to improve by constantly evaluating progress, revising and updating plans when appropriate, acknowledging not having all the answers, and constantly soliciting feedback. A humble leader encourages subordinates to take initiative and prefers to celebrate others’ accomplishments over his own.

Humility in the C-Suite

In my opinion, humility is a “must have” trait if one aspires to perform well at the executive-level. The most obvious behavior of a "humble leader" is that he or she willingly and publicly prioritizes the organization’s success ahead of their own self-interests.

In a recent Journal of Management study of 105 computer software and hardware firms, CEOs that were viewed as being humble by their colleagues were found to have reduced pay disparity between themselves and their staff. They willingly shared their power and they hired more diverse management teams, which often results in more diverse opinions and ways to attack enterprise-level challenges and issues.

Additionally, they enabled their leaders to lead, make decisions and innovate. Not surprisingly, humble leaders historically have been associated with less employee turnover, higher employee satisfaction, and they are almost always viewed as being responsible for the improvement of the company’s overall performance.

Leadership Lessons

The first step a leader must take to acquire or enhance the virtue of humility is to put his or her ego in check. Unless one can do this—and I mean really doing it—they will fall short of their goal and as a result, their leadership potential will never be maximized. Some ways to ensure that you are walking the path toward becoming a leader with humility are listed below:

Be Skeptical of Praise: It’s not a bad thing to enjoy being praised for doing a good job, but senior leaders must be wary of all praise that they receive from others. Human nature is such that in many environments, people with personal agendas are prone to praise their leaders, inflate their egos and do whatever else is necessary to curry favor as they look out for their own self-interests. Stated another way, I offer these words of caution...“Don’t fall in love with your own press releases!”

Be Concerned if You’re Not Hearing “No”: This is a big one and it often leads to senior leaders believing that they can do no wrong, which of course is as dangerous as it is ludicrous! If a leader is truly humble, she’s created an environment in which her teammates are willing to “Speak Truth to Power” and she’ll often receive honest and critical feedback on her “great ideas.” The best way for a leader to determine whether she’s created such an environment is to reflect upon the question, “When’s the last time someone said ‘No’ to me?” Think about this for a moment…and ask yourself the question!

Admit your mistakes and use them as “teachable moments”: When leaders recognize their own imperfections, they make it okay for others to be fallible, too. People tend to relate better with leaders who share their imperfections because they appear more “human” and just like they are. These types of displays of humility help to remind team members that everyone makes mistakes, should be willing to admit them quickly and drive on to resolving them as they continue toward achieving the unit’s shared objectives.

Engage in dialogue, not debates: Another way to practice humility is to truly encourage your teammates to “Speak Truth to Power.” Too often leaders are insistent on changing the opinions of others and “winning” arguments. When leaders behave like this, they often become so focused on proving that “they know best” that they miss out on the opportunity to learn from their talented teammates and this is truly a shame. Humble leaders are confident enough to suspend their own agendas and beliefs. In so doing, they not only enhance their own learning but they often enable much better results by incorporating the suggestions of their teammates.

Reflect on Your Weaknesses: As mentioned previously, if you desire to be a leader with humility, you must become your own biggest critic in the best sense of this term. Only with constant self-assessment of your weaknesses and things you don’t seem to do well or without difficulty will you be able to develop an accurate view of yourself as a leader.

Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing that since you are already serving in a senior leadership role that you “pretty much know it all.” Never assume that your years of experience have automatically brought you wisdom or that your title has bestowed competence!

The best leaders are always those that demonstrate the trait of humility. Like any valuable trait or skill, acquiring humility takes a lot of hard work and constant self-assessment. I encourage you to reflect upon the points conveyed in this article as you strive to learn more about yourself and maximize your leadership skills!

“Be silent as to services you have rendered, but speak of favors you have received." ~ Seneca