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“A tree laden with fruits, bends down”, my grandfather often drew this analogy while distinguishing humble versus haughty people in the neighbourhood. I could see this apply beautifully in the plant world. However, in human world, when I encountered ‘trees laden with fruits’ (read leaders) they were standing tall, unapproachable, swaying in their grandeur with other ‘younger trees’ growing up in a hustle around them. These young trees observed carefully and copied every movement of the ‘tree laden with fruits.’ The aspiration to stand as tall was deep rooted in all of them.
Today, humankind thrives on arrogance and swag. Humility is an underrated leadership trait. When hiring, organizations look for and promote charisma rather than humility. Dr. Robert Hogan, founder and president of Hogan Assessments draws out comparison between humble and charismatic leadership.
“Charisma does influence; however, it does not ensure success. Self-indulgent leaders often take bad decisions. Long term success is ensured by entrusting your company and future with humble leaders.”
Almost reiterating that the age-old analogy has not lost its meaning yet. The trait of humility is still a distinguishing aspect for human beings.
Originating from the Latin word humus which means ‘of earth’, being humble means to being grounded. A person who is grounded knows well about her strengths and weaknesses. There is complete alignment with ‘who you are’. A fair assessment and awareness about self despite of power, position, influence is the key to activate humility. Humble leaders are OK with others coming up with better ideas, they are accepting and provide opportunities for others to contribute. Thus, promoting a culture of growth.
For a humble leader, the focus is not in self but the team. Admitting mistakes, listening to others, seeking inputs are all indicative of humble leaders. Employees are not treated as a ‘resource’ or a means to an end. Collective interests are borne in mind above self-interest. Employees feel valued, heard and appreciated. CS Lewis outlines aptly in definition in the quote below:
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking less about yourself”
There is enough research which identifies humility as a virtue that distinguishes leaders. There is evidence to suggest that it promotes collaboration, team work, trust, followership and has a positive impact on business. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins identifies two distinct leadership characteristics that distinguished the 11 organizations which stood out from more than a 1,000 of the Fortune 500 companies. These were: humility and a steely determination. Leaders who put the company’s good before themselves survived through most painful transitions and succeeded.
True to the trait, you will rarely find humble leaders shouting out for recognition or spotlight. It is nature of relationships that these leaders form that speaks about this trait. Dr. Hogan says:
“Humility can be defined using three behavioral tendencies – seeing oneself accurately, appreciating the strengths and contributions of other people and finally being open to new ideas from other people”.
All of the above are behavioral attributes required to promote engagement, innovation and collaboration especially in the changing face of work. These leaders will stand for shared vision and are open to new ideas and challenges. They stand for a shared vision. Success or failure is not at team level and not individual.
A humble leader will follow a ‘servant-leader’ model, go down in the trenches and leave ego outside of the equation.
“Pride is the lock on the human heart; humility is the key”.
Leadership development workshops often focus on ‘building a charismatic leader’. The silver lining is that a lot of clients these days ask about ‘influence without authority’. This is a place where some elements of humility flow in. There is a lot that needs to be done to promote it at workplace. This single trait can help build a more engaging workplace culture. In turn, creating new kind of clones!
If you have ideas on how to promote humility at workplace or would like to engage in a conversation, DM me.