I’ve been writing about our need for humble leaders. Humility in leadership is vital for sustainable success—for the leader, the organization and our entire society. We need to develop humble leaders.
When this topic comes up in my coaching practice, we talk about the difference between being courteous, kind and friendly, and true humility. You see, humble leaders regard the needs of others ahead of one’s own. They think of self less, not less of self. They are fulfilled by helping others achieve fulfillment. A leader with a humble approach lifts people’s spirits, self-esteem and confidence.
If you want to develop humility, I recommend starting with a behavior self-assessment. In my last post I shared three key questions; here is one more to consider:
Do you search for sources of blame when things go wrong?
Think about it: Are your stories getting more creative as you try to avoid judgment?
Blame causes more damage to your reputation than the initial problem. Respect and trust are earned only when you accept responsibility for a situation, learn from it and take steps to avoid a repeat scenario. Admit to your people that you don’t know everything and you’re open to learning new ways to improve efficacy and productivity. Swallowing your pride is a major step toward achieving humility.
Leaders can certainly change—at least to a degree. Behavioral adjustments and upgrades are possible, but they take work. An entire overhaul of your behavior is generally not workable and may indicate you’re not in the correct role.
A cognitive decision to improve is only the first step in practicing humility, point out Merwyn A. Hayes and Michael D. Comer in, Start with Humility: Lessons from America’s Quiet CEOs on How to Build Trust and Inspire Followers (CreateSpace, 2010). Change is proportional to the effort you put into it. Lasting results are achieved only after rigorously practicing new behaviors.
Training your brain requires focus, repetition and ongoing feedback from others. Consider hiring a qualified professional coach to help you adopt a humbler approach to leadership. The rewards are well worth the investment.
What do you think? How do you develop humble leaders in your organization? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, or, I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
