By Dan Nielsen
We have all known and worked under different leaders with different leadership styles and strategies. When considering the characteristics that describe a great leader, many words typically come to the forefront of your mind, like confident, focused, inspired, strong, honest, etc. One word that doesn’t always come immediately to mind is humble. However, humility is often what makes a good leader become a great leader.
A recent study, published in Administrative Science Quarterly, focused on humility as a key leadership trait among successful leaders. The study authors noted:
“Humility is manifested in self-awareness, openness to feedback, appreciation of others, low self-focus, and pursuit of self-transcendence. Humble people willingly seek accurate self-knowledge and accept their imperfections while remaining fully aware of their talents and abilities. They appreciate others’ positive worth, strengths, and contributions and thus have no need for entitlement or dominance over others.”
This is an excellent definition that explores how humility shows itself in leadership. The concept of humility is often confused with being a “doormat” and never standing up for yourself. However, true humility means accepting your imperfections “while remaining fully aware of [your] talents and abilities.”
Genuine humility is a trait to which people are drawn. A humble person who is willing to accept feedback from others will naturally be able to work well with others. Humility within leadership encourages teamwork and produces more effective and efficient results.
Unfortunately a more common character trait seen in leadership is false humility. This has completely the opposite effect of genuine humility, causing others to lose respect and trust for the leader. As author Brandon Mull once wrote, “False humility is more insulting than open pride.” Unlike genuine humility, false humility can be extremely detrimental to the success of your organization.
So how do you avoid false humility and lead with genuine humbleness? Here are a few practical ways to practice genuine humility:
- Be aware of yourself and accept your own limitations
- Encourage feedback and be willing to accept criticism
- Consider others’ development before your own
While humility may not be a trait that gets a lot of attention or focus in leadership, I believe it is essential. If you want to be a truly successful, inspirational leader, practice genuine humility.
Question: How can you exemplify genuine humility within leadership? What steps do you need to take in this area?
Copyright © 2015 by Dan Nielsen – www.dannielsen.com
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