Now more than ever, humility is an important quality for leaders to have. Marshall Goldsmith, top leadership coach and author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (WGYHWGYT), identifies three characteristics differentiating good leaders from great ones: humility, courage and discipline.
A similarly popular idea is the importance of showing vulnerability. In an HBR article (registration required), an analysis by Dr. Brené Brown showed that vulnerability conveys authenticity, which in turn is associated with trustworthiness and human connection — key leadership competencies. According to Brown, “our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose.”
It's thanks in part to an increasingly complex, rapidly changing and unpredictable environment that the importance of humility has become clear. In such a work environment no one person can "do it all." It calls for different kind of leaders: those who are inclusive, encourage people’s best thinking, energize creative talents, are willing to learn and are able to build trust. Humble leaders know they don’t have all the knowledge or answers and therefore they actively listen to learn. They also know their own limitations and that self-awareness helps them get better.
Humility is not a feature we have traditionally associated with leaders. It seems to run counter to the confident, "know it all" air leaders are often known for. How can today's best leaders embrace the apparent paradox of showing humility alongside confidence?
Seven Ways Leaders Can Develop Humility
It is worthwhile to start by considering factors that can get in the way. First, leaders’ preconceived notion that they need to appear strong at all times can be an obstacle to showing vulnerability. Second, the ego — that part of us that say we are always right and know the best — can get in the way. Finally, a leader’s belief that they achieved their success because they are smart and confident can cause them to be reluctant to meddle with their formula. Bill Gates is credited with saying, "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces people into thinking they cannot lose.’"
Below are seven ways leaders can overcome these barriers:
1. Adopt a mindset shift: Humility and confidence need not be on different ends of the spectrum; in fact, they co-exist. Former President Obama, for example, shared that he grew both more humble and also more confident the longer he was in office. Leaders can be confident that with a group effort they can figure things out and humble in believing that they alone can't resolve challenges.
2. Connect with your own aspirations and higher purpose: In my work with executives, I find that they are often moved and inspired when they are reminded of the reasons they entered the field and when they connect with their core values and aspirations — the things that matter to them most. A higher purpose often emerges, something larger than oneself. Success is then viewed through the lens of group success, focusing on the "we" instead of the "me." This helps to tame the ego, creating a natural path for humility.
3. Expand your self-awareness: Leaders generally tend to overestimate their own contributions to success and underestimate their contributions to failure. When leaders increase their self-awareness, they get a more realistic view of their own successes and failures. This is important as top leaders cannot afford to have such blind spots. It also helps to keep the ego in check. Journaling, mindfulness and self-reflection exercises are excellent tools to raise self-awareness.
4. Strengthen organizational awareness: Strong social awareness opens the way first to understand and appreciate others, and second to communicate more effectively with different groups. Humility naturally develops when leaders embrace the idea that diversity of opinion counts and when they understand that gaining buy-in from various groups is not a given.
5. Adopt mindfulness practices: Mindfulness in its most basic form means the opposite of mindlessness. It is about being present, a way of being that is not limited to meditative practices. Mindfulness is associated with several benefits. First, as people become more fully present, self and social awareness are strengthened. Second, mindfulness practices help leaders to connect with their core selves and not be dependent on external cues, accomplishments or acknowledgments by others. Finally, mindfulness is a good entry point for developing compassion for others, creating a sense of connectivity and a "we are all in this together" mindset — instead of a narrow "me" mindset. All these benefits help keep the ego in check.
6. Understand "WGYHWGYT": As leaders move up the ladder it becomes even more critical for them to rely on others. How they interact and communicate with others determines their success. People skills become king. According to Goldsmith, the old formula of success from previous roles is no longer enough. When leaders realize that their success is no longer guaranteed and appreciate the importance of leaning on others, that awareness opens the door to developing more humility.
7. Ask for help: In my coaching practice, stakeholders play an important role in helping leaders grow and achieve strategic objectives. Specifically, leaders ask key stakeholders for suggestions on how to become better leaders and achieve developmental goals. It is a humble act of acknowledging to others that they need help. For many leaders, it is both one of the most difficult things they ever had to do and also one of the most powerful experiences in their lives. Asking for help takes confidence and courage. It is both a display of humility and an act that reinforces humility.
Humility is not merely a "nice to have" skill, but rather a must-have quality for leaders in the 21st century. The good news is that it is a learned skill. Great leaders have learned how to have the confidence to be humble and the courage to be vulnerable.
