Leading With Humility
Humility
Leadership’s Missing Ingredient Brings New Perspective
When you hear the word leader, most of us conjure-up images of famous people who are strong, confident, and outgoing. You need to be sure of yourself to achieve success in business, but there is a lot to be said for being a humble leader. The most engaging and inspiring voices are not always the loudest. Therefore, leadership humility, may be the untapped characteristic of true leadership effectiveness.
What is meant by leadership humility?
Leadership humility carries an increasing amount of weight now. Historically, tales have focused on imposing leaders who were strong and brave, but also arrogant and selfish. Humility means being aware of your own faults and flaws and seeing yourself as an equal, rather than somebody who is better than others. When it comes to leading, you need someone with conviction and confidence at the helm, but a business can also benefit from having a leader who is aware both of his own shortcomings and the strengths and virtues of others.
The benefits of being a humble leader
There are several benefits to being a humble leader. The most significant examples include:
Listening to others and acknowledging their ideas, abilities, and strengths: you can’t run a business on your own, and encouraging your team to progress, develop, and learn will benefit everyone.
Teamwork and collaboration: competition can push people to achieve their best, but there’s a fine line between healthy competition and creating contests that contribute to a lack of cohesion.
Integrity and credibility: being a good leader isn’t about boasting and showing off. It’s about setting a good example and inspiring others to accomplish their own goals.
Morale: when you lead a group, morale is everything. A humble leader will appreciate every person in the team, giving them the reassurance, confidence, and motivation to work towards targets.
Relatability: when you’re humble, you become more human and more relatable. If you’re a boss who makes time to listen and isn’t boastful or arrogant, employees will quickly warm to you and ultimately have more respect for you.
Tips for practicing leadership humility
Being a good leader isn’t always about being the loudest voice in the room and laying down the law. Often, it’s about finding the right balance between strength and authority and humility and compassion. Here are tips to practice leadership humility:
Be prepared to muck in: getting involved in the day-to-day running of the business and being prepared to get stuck in and help out occasionally will give you an insight into your employees’ daily life, at the same time as showing them that you’re willing to do your bit for the cause.
Know your own limitations: often, we’re quick to point out other people's shortfalls when it comes to managing a team of people, but it’s hugely valuable to know your own flaws and limitations.
Be willing to learn: every day is a learning experience, and even if you’re a successful leader, there’s always room for improvement.
Ask yourself these questions to help raise your awareness of leadership humility.
What part of yourself are you holding on rather than freely giving to others?
What relationships could you selflessly invest tomorrow?
Which beliefs and attitudes are you refusing to test?
Where are you stopping short?
What are you prepared to learn, invest, risk, and sacrifice?
How are you leveraging your talents to support the success of others?
When you think of a leader, you often imagine an incredibly powerful figure, but humility can be an amazingly potent weapon in the world of business. Leaders who exhibit high levels of leadership humility are able to forge strong relationships with peers and direct reports, appreciate the contributions of others over their own, and listen and digest feedback so it promotes growth and creates a culture rooted in openness, transparency, and authenticity.
Coach Chad | www.legacyleadership.coach | chad.blando@legacyleadership.coach