3 Secrets of Humble Leadership
The secrets of leadership are seen best by the humble. Arrogance blinds.
There’s an inverse relationship between arrogance and perception. As arrogance goes up, self-perception goes down.
3 Secrets of humble leadership:
#1. Humility enables enthusiasm.
Humility does enthusiastically what it prefers not to do. Would you prefer to close the door and work on your own? Get out and walk around. You cannot make a difference from a distance.
Fill in the following sentence with expressions of enthusiasm.
Be __________ when having tough conversations (Or something you prefer not to do.)
- Deeply committed to the best interest of others.
- Whole-hearted about moving the ball down the field.
- Unwavering about your commitment to help people develop.
- Fully present.
- Open to learning.
- Courageous enough to ‘say what you see’ in others, even it it stings.
- Kind enough to offer second chances. (As long as there’s reasonable progress.)
Enthusiasm isn’t frivolity. Jump into tough conversations with your whole heart, not with frivolity.
Tip: When you enthusiastically do what you prefer not to do, you find creative ways to get it done.
#2. Humility sees strength and potential in others.
Only the humble see opportunity behind weakness.
- Humility enables you to see and accept weakness in yourself and others.
- Growth and development begin when there’s room to get better.
- Leaders who don’t need to improve can’t effectively develops others.
- Arrogance sees fault in others and acts with pessimism.
- Humility knows how to believe in people.
Tip: Never trust weakness-free leaders. Arrogance has twisted their perception.
#3. Humility knows how to face uncertainty.
Arrogance protects face when faced with uncertainty. It needs to know and have ‘the’ answer.
Humility has the courage to not know.
In uncertainty, humility enthusiastically…
- Asks questions.
- Listens.
- Evaluates. Arrogance can’t evaluate because it needs to be right.
- Adapts.
- Begins again.
What secrets of leadership are best seen by the humble?
Nice, Dan, and simply-stated. These behaviors are well-considered and could be actionable, if people felt a reason to change. Courage is a big aspect of this, I think. Having the courage to let go of one’s old ways and to be preceptive of how some new behaviors have different impacts.
Thanks Dr. Scott. Interesting you bring up both the felt-need and courage to change. I’ve been mulling the same thing over.
We can’t expect growth from people who feel they don’t need it.
Having said that, I’ve been working from the supposition that humility can be practiced, even if we don’t feel it.
Humility sees that there is an opportunity to learn from anywhere and everywhere. Humility sees obstacles as opportunities to grow. Arrogance is afraid of failure for the blemish it could put on its facade; humility, rather, has a penchant for progressive failure because it knows that growth will stem from it.
Thank you for this reminder, Dan!
There’s a fine line between arrogance and self-confidence. Arrogance thinks I’m better than others. Self confidence thinks I can do this. It is not always easy for others to tell the difference. The secret is found in meekness, which is controlled strength–withholding an opinion or taking action when I have the power to do so. Humility is the practice of putting others before yourself.