As I’ve discussed leadership here, I’ve often talked about some of the key qualities that make a great leader. From communication skills and confidence to introspection and vision, there are any number of traits that make leaders, well…leaders!
There’s one quality, however, that doesn’t fit the image of a leader. At least, not at first glance. But I’m here to tell you why humility should be a prized trait among leaders from the aspiring to the established.
"Our ego hinders our ability to influence more than anything else under our control."
— Michael McKinney
7 Reasons Humility is a Key Leadership Trait
Reason #1 – Humility makes you a better student.
When you’re humble, you recognize that you don’t know everything. That should, in turn, create in you a hungry and curious mind. Not only will you be more adept at learning new information, but you will actively seek it out. Being a lifelong learner is one of the best things you can do for your quality of life and character!
Reason #2 – You take ownership of your mistakes.
Effective leaders own it when they screw up. You can’t do that if pride is causing you to try and save face no matter what the cost. Ego will pass blame, put down, and refuse to take the L – and the lesson learned. By contrast, humility equips you with leadership that doesn’t fixate on mistakes – instead, it focuses on finding solutions and making wrongs right.
Reason #3 – You’re willing to get down and do the dirty work.
Your team needs to know that you’re with them. Leadership isn’t about sitting high above your subordinates. It’s about sacrifice, servanthood, and responsibility. Humility allows you to step in where you are most effective and work with your team as a true collaborator. When you’re never too good to do the work, your team will relate to and respect you.
Reason #4 – It will be easier for others to follow your leadership.
No one likes those guys who are full of themselves. The kind of people we want to follow are those with flaws and feelings, mistakes and hard-won victories. Humility isn’t about being down on yourself. Rather, it’s having a realistic perspective on yourself, your abilities, and your impact. You present a much stronger image when you refuse to hide your flaws. Humility leads to honesty and honesty leads to trust. And when people trust you, they’ll follow you.
Reason #5 – You recognize your shortcomings.
I won’t pretend it’s easy to be self-critical. We all have our blind spots, sure. But in leadership particularly, there’s a temptation to hide weaknesses. We think that these vulnerabilities somehow make us less effective. However, recognizing and working on your flaws means you grow into a better, more experienced, more equipped leader than you were before.
It means you can identify the kind of team you need to build to support your vision. Knowing where you fall short means you can identify people who excel in those areas and truly value their contribution.
Reason #6 – You empower your team.
An egotistical leader takes power away from their team. They’re the ones who micro-manage, the ones who refuse to delegate, and the ones who put down and diminish others in the hopes of making themselves look better. That’s not the kind of leader I want to follow and it’s certainly not the kind of leader I want to be! I imagine the same is true for you. Humility empowers your team because it means you see them on even footing. You’ll want their input. You’ll listen to their ideas. You’ll delegate responsibility. You’ll give credit where credit is due.
When you do this, you give your team the power and authority to take ownership over their work. That in turn creates quality.
Reason #7 – Pride comes before the fall.
Narcissism has led many otherwise great leaders to ruin. Self-absorption and ego are two of the biggest flaws you can have, no just as a leader, but as a person! Pride has a habit of blinding us to uncomfortable truths. It makes us less self-critical, less observant, and more concerned with image and reputation than tangible results.
Don’t get tripped up: you’re never too big, too successful, or too influential to fall.
How has humility served you well in your career? Share in the comments.