The Thursday Leadership Insight: Humility the Misunderstood Leadership Content Skill Superpower Essential to Enhancing All Other Leadership Content

Leaders develop themselves first to lead others. It is an intentional, continual inside-out process of developing core values, mindset, motivation, and motivation, as well as developing content skills to lead in the context of the time of their leadership practice. Craig Groeschel, Pastor of Life Church and Global Leadership Summit Champion, underscores this process: "When the leader gets better, everyone gets better. "When the discussion of leaders "getting better "comes up, the content skill of humility doesn't come up often. Leaders' humility is rarely mentioned in articles about how it impacts effective leadership. Interestingly, Humility is rarely mentioned as a top leadership trait. When one considers the landmark research on desired leader characteristics by? Kouzes and Posner from 1987 to 2017? in the Leadership Challenge or even the 2020 Gallup voter polls of desired presidential character traits, humility needs to be listed.

In an article for The? Bettup Community, Humility in Leadership: The Unsung Skill of Great Leaders, Maggie Wooll writes that Humility is not often mentioned when listing leadership characteristics. She writes that there's another?leadership trait?that many successful leaders have in common: Humility in leadership. Wooll further notes, "The fact that humility and effective leadership aren't always commonly associated doesn't mean they're not deeply linked. Sabrina Horn is an award-winning C.E.O., author, speaker, and C-suite advisor. In her book,?"Make It, Don't Fake It, Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success,"? in a Lead Change blog in 2018, Humility: A leadership superpower that Leadership Myths Effect intentionally considers humility a leadership skill. "Being humble may not seem like an obvious C.E.O. trait. You'd be hard-pressed to find a leader who lacked self-esteem or a sense of unworthiness." Leaders will need increased emotional, relational, and social intelligence." Harry Kraemer, clinical professor of management and organizations, executive partner at Madison Dearborn Partners private equity firm, and former C.E.O. of Baxter International, noted three skills. "He notes," There are several skills today that are critical in being an effective values-based leader: strong people skills, effective communication skills, and the ability to effectively deal with a crisis." These leadership content skills are undeniably essential in today's environment for effective leadership practice. Examining all these skills points to a leadership skill that underlies and facilitates their development yet is rarely overtly considered. That leadership content skill is the often misunderstood, unsung skill of humility. Humility might be considered a leadership superpower because of all the other leadership content skills enhanced by its presence. If leaders are to be effective in these uncertain times, they need to learn, listen, and understand that they don't know all the answers. Humility is an essential leadership content skill, possibly because it is a foundational element to the development of many, if not all, content skills of leadership. In Good to Great, Jim Collins called Humility the "X Factor of Great Leadership." Strong myths about humility inhibit leaders from practicing and learning humility in their leadership practice. Another reason could be the false view that brash, answer-person leaders who get more media time or may appear successful are more successful than humble leaders. Another reason may be that humility is not noticed as it is embedded and essential to other leadership content skills.

Interestingly, humility does get noticed in failures. Experts and the media quickly point to a need for more humility in explaining many leadership-caused disasters. The Challenger and the Titanic disasters, although 74 years apart, show a lack of humility to learn and seek other opinions with disastrous results. History abounds with these types of examples. Yet, in a May 1, 2024 Podcast by McKinsey & Company, Why so many bad bosses still rise to the top, DrTomasChamorro–Premuzic notes, "Narcissism. Overconfidence. Low E.Q. Why do we persist in selecting leadership traits that hamper organizational progress—and leave the right potential leaders in the wrong roles?

"Hot air rises—and so, unfortunately, do many aspiring leaders spout it. Why do we continue to mistake confidence for competence, and what should we be doing differently?".He states that it isn't gender. It is a disdain for "soft skills." This is precise because they have some of the qualities—empathy, self-awareness, integrity, and Humility—that ultimately make them better leaders but don't really make them leaders to begin with. Suppose you succeed at playing within the current rules of the game. The rules of the game are confused by myths about humility. Chamorro–Premuzic notes, "They promise us the world and tell us that we are amazing and should follow them because they know the answers to all the questions and they are invincible. They seduce us with these megalomaniac visions. It's a very populist and seductive strategy. They seduce us, and in the modern era, we have come to the notion that leaders must be entertaining and charismatic. "Interestingly, as leadership expert John Maxwell stated in a recent Live2Lead presentation, he has profound sadness that our leaders never practice humility, never admit they make mistakes, they blame.

?This Thursday's leadership insight defines humility in leaders' ships, describes five myths that inhibit leaders from being humble, and describes five truths about the value of humility in leadership. Humility characteristics, which were researched in Jim Collins' Good To Great, are shared. Five practices will be listed to help a leader develop humility in the leadership practice.

?Defining Humility in Leadership

Anna Vargas, in a Sounding Board article? 4 Characteristics of a Humble Leader, writes, "While investing in leadership training is something that most companies do, one of the most important qualities that leaders must learn is how to be a humble leader.?n leadership,?Humility?is defined as the ability to remain aware of yourself, appreciate other people's strengths and contributions, and openness to new ideas and feedback regarding your performances. A humble leader can improve the rate of employee engagement, which leads to better job satisfaction rates.?Additionally, humble leaders can use their skills, knowledge, and experience to attract and inspire their team, encourage unity, and contribute positively to their organizations.?"

A leader who chooses to develop humility has to intentionally and continually address the five myths below and practice the five contrasting truths about humility in leadership practice.

?5 Myths ?and Truths About Humble Leaders

Humility Myth #1 Leaders who are humble are weak.

This myth is a product of the "Strong Leader " who has all the knowledge and answers myth.

Humility Truth #1 A leader who accepts they don't have all the answers is open to listening, asking, and earning from those around them. This facilitates the process of learning, unlearning, and relearning. Hubert Joly noted in the Heart of Business that spending time on a Minneapolis Best Buy floor as "C.E.O. in training" provided him with feedback and learning to redo the computer system and packaging demands for flat-screen T.V.s.This act of humility saved Best Buy over 100 million dollars in losses from poorly packaged flat-screen T.V.s. Leaders who practice humility understand it is not just about them. Leaders who practice humility have the strength to practice emotional intelligence, which means being self-aware and aware of others. They understand and model humility to demonstrate that the organization's success depends on everyone.

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Humility Myth #2: Leading with humility shows a lack of confidence. This myth arises from two factors. One is a misunderstanding of humility as being weak and unsure. and the myth of the "Super Boss," the born leader.

Humility Truth #2 Humility requires self-confidence and the courage to be vulnerable and open to listen and learn to serve the organization and those who work there. Confidence and Humility in recognizing others build a stronger team.

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Humility Myth? #3? Humility impairs decision-making.

This myth is derived from the leadership myth that the leader is the answer person and the source of all solutions. Quick answers are always the best.

Humility Truth #3

Humble leaders understand, as President Harry Truman said, "the Buck Stops Here" and "It is amazing what gets done when you are not concerned about who gets the credit."The leader practicing humility knows they can't possibly know everything. They also know they can not predict an unpredictable world through their lens; they need other diverse perspectives. A leader practicing humility is a curious learner who seeks input and understanding to make decisions. The leader practicing humility can be open-minded, knowing they do not have all the answers. They also recognize building people up to learn from decisions that don't work out. Ray Dalio, a billionaire entrepreneur and investor, writes in Principles that he realized he did not know it all and that only humility and open-mindedness to learning led to his organization's success. This learning leader, John Maxwell, states in Developing The Leader Within 2.0 that they must be decisive and learn from failure to grow and learn.

Humility Myth #4 Leading with Humility creates a dysfunctional work culture without direction or purpose. This is another example of the supper boss. This myth implies that all systems will self-destruct if you don't know it and are not "in control." Practicing humility means never taking credit and is incompatible with ambition or drive.

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Humility Truth#4 A leader practicing humility understands that being an isolated answer person breeds uncertainty and dysfunction because they attempt to hold all information. The humble leader understands that all in the organization are watching as the leader. They teach and model humility in seeking and sharing information input, making decisions, and being vulnerable in their actions. Their actions will mold the humble culture of the organization. Mark Miller writes in Chess Not Checkers: Elevate Your Leadership Game?that humble leader builds their leadership knowing that their role is to build people up and get things done. Their humility inspires those they serve with the organization's purpose as a safe learning place. These actions model humility and empower others to actively connect, engage, learn confidently, and accept accountability to get things done. They understand their leadership is not about them and the spotlight. It is about shining the spotlight on others. A Barrista once approached Howard Schultz with a request to develop different flavors of Lattes. Schultz, a dark coffee drinker, didn't like the concept but saw possibilities. Lattes and frappuccinos are now a staple at Starbucks and are a highly profitable segment of their business.

Humility Myth #5 Leading with humility is unsuitable for working with customers. This myth comes again from the misplaced thought that humility equals weakness.

We treat our people well to treat our customers well; after all, we serve coffee in the people business."

Howard Schultz, Starbucks

Humility Truth ?#5 The leader practicing humility knows it is foundational to real customer service success. This comes from front-line workers feeling safe, empowered, and confident to serve customers. The humble leader understands that developing learning and service systems for employees in the organization helps them do their best for customers, which is the recipe for exceptional customer service. They also have the humility to seek customer input to improve services, processes, and products. Leading with Humility allows the leader to learn to empower those who directly serve the customer. These workers build a customer base because their main concern is serving the customer, not avoiding trouble. Howard Schultz of Starbucks often states, "We treat our people well to treat our customers well; after all, we are in the people business serving coffee."

"Leadership is less about position than disposition."

John Maxwell? Developing The Leader Within 2.0

In his groundbreaking bestseller Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't?

, Leadership, Jim Collins notes the power of humility in companies that went from being good to being great. His studies showed eight major takeaways about how humility played a crucial role in companies' success transitioning from good to great. Here are the key points about humility from Collins' findings:

1.? Level 5 Leadership:

Collins identified that all the good-to-great companies had what he called "Level 5 Leaders" at the helm during their transition and growth periods. A paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will characterize these leaders.

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2.? Personal Humility:

Level 5 leaders demonstrated deep personal humility. They were modest and often credited others, external factors, and good luck for their companies' success rather than themselves.

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3.? Window and Mirror Concept:

When things went well, these humble leaders looked out the window to attribute success to factors other than themselves. They looked in the mirror and took personal responsibility when things went poorly.

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4.? Contrast with Comparison Companies:

Leaders of comparison companies that didn't leap to greatness often displayed ego and sought personal credit for success while blaming external factors for poor performance.

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5.? Long-term Success:

Collins found that this humility and fierce professionalism will enable these leaders to create sustained great results. The good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general market by an average of seven times over fifteen years.

6.? Succession Planning:

Humble leaders were more likely to groom successors for even greater success in the next generation rather than setting up the company to fail after their departure

7.? Team First:

These leaders put the needs of the company above their ego, focusing on building a great team and organization rather than personal glory

8.? The Unexpected Finding:

Collins and his research team were initially surprised by the importance of humility, as it ran counter to the popular image of high-profile, charismatic corporate leaders. In essence, Collins' research revealed that humility was not a weakness but a crucial strength that, combined with strong professional drive, enabled leaders to achieve extraordinary, sustained results for their companies. This finding challenged conventional myths about what type of leadership is most effective in driving corporate success.

Jim Collins says," The X Factor of great leadership is not personality. It is humility".Like all leadership skills, humility can be learned and refined.

Below are five practices for developing or enhancing humility in your leadership practice.

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"Take a checkup from the neck up."

?????????????????????????? Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay ?Cosmetics

1.? Take an honest self-assessment of your humility as demonstrated in your leadership practice. Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay, often reminded? her leaders, "Every once in a while, we all need to take a checkup from the neck up."How often are you compelled to be correct, be first always-on, and have the quickest answers? Do you listen to thoughts different than yours? How often do you seek input? Hint: The best help here will come from significant others or honest friends who care for you. Commit to an action plan to develop and model humility.

1.? Develop a curious learner approach. Intentionally practice curiosity, looking around, and looking for connections. Ask questions for clarity.

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3. Develop and intentionally practice communication skills. Practice A.S.K. Always Seek Knowledge by asking open-ended questions and avoiding judgment to spark discussion and learning. Pause after a question and listen in the present. Respond with the intent to learn more. Keep a small notebook to write down thoughts. Practice saying "Thank You" and "I am sorry" and mean it.

4. Develop and practice intentional reflection. Schedule a specific time, place, and method to reflect on the day's lessons about becoming a humble leader. Act on your reflections to turn your insights into actions.

"There is no better way to learn a topic than to teach it to someone."

?5. Develop a plan to teach and model humility to your team and your organization. Teaching what you have learned about the practices to enhance humility will strengthen your skills and team skills. You will become more humble in your practice. Your team will be more connected and engaged.

??"Humility is a superpower in leadership."

Sabrina Horn

These tips are a brief overview of some ways a leader can develop the practice of humility. The benefits can be huge, as an organizational culture of humility based on safety, respect, learning, and agility will build people up and get more done.

Although rarely considered a "stand-alone" leadership skill, Humility is a leadership superpower. In her blog noted above, Sabrina Horn writes, "Humility is a superpower in leadership. It is about knowing what you don't know and having the curiosity, authenticity, and confidence to put that out there so that you and your team can find the answers."

The truth about humility, then, is it is an integral element of all leadership content skills. Leaders must be learners and understand that building people up and getting things done involves all. In conclusion, while Humility may seem counterintuitive to traditional notions of strong leadership, it is increasingly recognized as a critical trait for effective modern leaders. By addressing the myths and practicing the truths of genuine humility, leaders can create more engaged teams, foster innovation, and ultimately drive better organizational results.

The Leadership Questions for you then are:

1. How would you rate your practice of being a humble leader?

2. What areas do you need to improve on?

3. When can you start?

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