HUMILITY

Humility is not cited as often as some other character traits in the leadership literature, but many of us have either experienced or heard stories of egocentric, arrogant leaders who have soured the company culture and driven valuable employees to under-perform or leave. Humility might not be the first quality that comes to mind when you think of leadership skills, but studies are showing that it is one of the most vital characteristics of successful leaders.

Since not all leaders read or go by the same leadership guide book, you need to look at your values and see what is the most important way to lead and to motivate employees for greater productivity. Humble leaders may sometimes fly under the radar and be passed over when it comes to hiring or promotion. 

In its broadest sense humility is defined as, 1) self-awareness, 2) appreciating the strengths and contributions of others, and 3) openness to new ideas and feedback regarding one’s performance. Leaders who are humble have a better grasp on organizational needs and make better informed decisions about task performance. 

Contrary to popular opinion, humility is not a sign of weakness - it is a sign of strength. Great leaders know who they are; they know what they want; and they believe in their ability to achieve their goals. At the same time, great leaders understand that they cannot achieve their goals on their own - that they rely on others to accomplish what they cannot do themselves.  

Researchers confirms that humble leaders are more effective.  Admitting you do not have all the answers creates opportunities for learning and builds trust, establishes credibility and provides an example of how to deal with uncertainty. Being humble does not mean being a fool.

You can use humility to be more effective in the following seven ways:- 

BE OPEN TO OTHERS' OPINION

Humble leaders seek input from others to ensure they have all the facts and are making decisions that are in the best interest of the team. No one person has all the answers. If you think you do, then it is probably time to reassess.

Every person wants to work for people who value their opinions rather than ignore or dismiss them. Effectively, humble leaders are comfortable asking for input and can just as easily be decisive when the situation dictates.

BE HUMBLE

Leaders often do not see the true value of their charges, especially the general workers. But when leaders are humble, show respect, and ask how they can serve employees as they improve the organization, the outcomes can be outstanding. And perhaps even more important than better company results, servant leaders get to act like better human beings.

TEND TO OTHERS’ NEEDS

Team performance is typically much higher when team members believe their leaders are truly looking out for their best interests. That does not mean hand-holding, but it does mean caring about the environment in which your team is working and ensuring that they have what they need to do a good job.

While intelligence and skill are typically good predictors of team performance, the quality of humility - especially in a team’s leadership - can be a better performance predictor.

ADMIT MISTAKES

It is tough to be more transparent and open–even those who consider themselves humble do not want to look like they have messed up. But as human beings, we all make mistakes. When you are willing to share your own missteps, and how you dealt with and recovered from them, you earn trust from your team.

It does not mean that people need to be willing to fall on a sword. But we should own up to what we did. Sometimes it is good to share that with others - that we are not infallible.

ACCEPT AMBIGUITY

Many leaders want to control everything. But some things cannot be known upfront or beforehand. You have to know when to take charge - or when to let go and not try to force everything to go your way.

Sometimes, it is important to admit that you do not know the best answer, and wait until you have the best information to make a decision or change.

SELF-REFLECT

Like many leadership skills, humility may not come easy to everyone. That’s why it is important to engage in self-reflection.

One of the most powerful tools is to write in a journal. By chronicling what went well during your interactions or what you could have handled better, you can enhance your perspective and learn from your actions. There is always room for improvement.

LET PEOPLE DO THEIR JOBS

Micromanaging kills morale - and it is not very humble. Choose good people, train them, then get out of the way and let them do their job. It can take humility to admit that your way is not the only way or even that some people are better at certain roles than you. The humble leader accepts these truths and allow the strengths of others to work for the good of the team or organization without interference.

When leaders are demonstrating these behaviors - self-awareness, perspective, openness to feedback and ideas, and appreciation of others - employees will be happier in their job and can actually perform at a higher level. There is a definite association between the humble leadership behaviors and those outcomes.

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