12
Nov
Humility in Leadership
“Humility is not weakness. It is strength under control.”– A.R. Bernard
Humility is defined as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance; freedom from pride or arrogance.” Many people think of humility as being bashful of credentials, or downplaying accomplishments. Some even misconstrue it to mean they should not have confidence in themselves or that they should think of themselves as weak.
Humility is not viewing yourself as weak but viewing others as valuable. It is an intrinsic lens at how you perceive other people. It is not an action we take to make ourselves seem humble to others.
The best leaders have humility so how might you gain this quality? Leaders can engage in practices or disciplines to engage humility in leadership.
Consider these three characteristics of humble leaders:
- Perception of others/perception of self. Humble leaders consider others better than themselves and they show it outwardly. Whether the CEO or the line worker, humility involves seeing other people as equal. Everyone has something to offer and something to teach. Humble leaders are constantly trying to learn from, and understand, others (hint: this involves excellent listening skills).
- Admission of wrongdoing. Humble leaders are willing to own their mistakes and seek ways to “make it right.” They don’t try to hide errors or blame them on other people.
- Expression of gratitude. Because leaders with humility elevate those around them, they become aware of the contributions of others and express their thankfulness. As Grant points out in his book, Leadership Isn’t Rocket Science, research shows leaders often decline to praise or even thank employees for their contributions but “humble leaders publicly praise employees.”
Do you want to be a better leader? Work relentlessly at thinking of yourself not as less, but simply less often, and looking at others more.
“Though I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors.” – George Washington
By: Natalie Hilde
Natalie Hilde has more than 15 years of Management Consulting experience. Natalie is an expert at the development and administration of leadership and organizational assessment tools. She has surveyed thousands of employees in dozens of different industries.