Humility is vital as a business leader and for our teams in several different ways:

Humility ensures stronger relationships: With humility, we put ourselves at the same level as those with whom we communicate.  This is especially true with subordinates; we may out-rank them, but that does not mean we out-smart them. 

The less that you speak of your greatness, the more I shall think of it.  Henry Ford

Humility lets us listen: When humble, we listen and consider other’s opinions.  This listening also improves relationships.

Listening is an act of humility.  It says that other people’s ideas are interesting and important; that our own could be in error; that there is still plenty left for us to learn.  Kathryn Schulz

Humility leads to better decision-making.

Humility moves in the other direction; it opens up and increases incoming information.  As a result, there is more opportunity for pattern recognition.  James Olds

Humility leads to learning and continuous improvement: To learn we need to be humble and admit that we don’t know and that we can be better.  We become open to questioning our understanding and our opinions.  And we become open to new ideas and insights.

Learning requires the humility to realize one has something to learn.  Elizabeth Mancuso

Be humble: In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few. Shunryu Suzuki

If we feel that we know everything, then (to us) there is nothing more to learn and we will soon stagnate.  Those lacking in humility are well described by Yogi Berra:

There are some people who, if they don’t already know, you can’t tell them.

Two Cautions

• Even when humble, we need to stick up for ourselves and take credit for the good work that we have done.  In a perfect world, our humility and our boss’ good insight would make sure that we receive the credit when it is due us.  We don’t live in a perfect world.

• Beware of false humility and the humble brag that we see in college alumni notes or that Christmas letter from a friend:  ‘While picking up my Nobel Prize, I was so humbled by the people around me…’ 

Most of what they call humility is successfully disguised arrogance.  Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Don’t be so humble, you’re not that great.  Golda Meir

Conclusion

Our success as leaders comes from the success of others.  By remaining humble, we keep the focus where it needs to be: directed outward towards our team and our customers. 

To become humble, we should first realize the contributions of others and the pure luck that got us where we are today.  And, as humble leaders, we need to begin using some of those simple expressions of a good leader that I wrote about 3 months ago.

• I don’t know…
• I was wrong…
• I’m sorry…
• What can we do better…
• Thank you…

Ken Blanchard says it well:

People with humility do not think less of themselves; they just think about themselves less.