Why Humble Leaders Make the Best Leaders
What makes a good leader great?
As students of leadership, we are always looking at the most valuable skills and qualities of a great leader. On first reflection, one might think visionary, courageous, or charismatic and these truly are very important. But when hiring for long-term fit, many companies may be overlooking one of the most important traits of top performers:
Humility often gets a bad rap because it is sometimes linked with subservience or weakness. Psychological research actually indicates the opposite: Humility is most closely associated with highly positive qualities including sincerity, modesty, fairness, truthfulness, and authenticity.
When hiring, it is important to assess every candidate for this important trait. Those who do not exemplify humility during the screening process are unlikely to exhibit humility in the work place. In our experience, a leader lacking in humility can actually do far more damage than good, regardless of the other skills they may bring to the table.
Why Humility Matters
Leaders who exhibit humility get the best from every employee
A survey of 105 computer software and hardware firms published in the Journal of Management revealed that humility in CEOs led to higher-performing leadership teams and increased collaboration in developing strategies.
Jim Collins, author of time-tested book Good to Great is often credited with identifying the two common traits of CEOs in companies that transformed from average to superior market performers: humility and an indominable will to succeed.
This combination of humility and an indomitable will in a leader is a motivating combination. It has the potential to motivate teams to achieve far beyond what they might normally have accomplished and boosts moral throughout the organization.
Top 4 Characteristics of Humble Leaders
They know they are not the smartest person in the room, nor do they need to be
They encourage people to speak up, respect differences of opinion, and champion the best ideas regardless of whether these ideas come from a top executive or a production-line employee
When things go wrong, humble leaders admit to mistakes and take responsibility
When things go right, they shine the spotlight on others
Why humble Leaders Make the Best Leaders, by Jeff Hyman,Forbes
CEOs from Humble Beginnings
It’s easy to look at successful business leaders of our day and hold their current success as a benchmark for what should be expected from a candidate’s career journey. We may assume these leaders were always in such an influential position and rarely give a thought to how they got there.
In fact, many CEOs and founders of Fortune 500 Companies began in places like grocery stores, retail, hotels and restaurants. Many who make it to success spend a lifetime giving thanks for what little they had, because it instilled in them a strong work ethic . . .
Brian O’Connell, SHRM
Examples of CEOs from Humble Beginnings
Horst Schultze, Founding President of the Ritz-Carlton Group:
Horst began his career at age 14 as a busboy at a local hotel. He moved up the ladder, joining the Ritz-Carlton family at ground level. He never returned to school, but received an Honorary PhD in Business Management and Hospitality.Oprah Winfrey, American Talk Show Host, Actress, and Philanthropist:
From a tumultuous childhood, Oprah took her first job as a grocery store clerk at the age of 16 before working her way to a television station.Giorgio Armani, World-Renowned Fashion Designer:
Spent time in the military before taking a job assisting a photographer at a local department store, eventually securing a permanent position. The rest is history . . .Indra Nooyi, Chairwoman & CEO of PepsiCo:
Raised in middle-class India, Nooya had dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman, but no money and little support. She worked as a receptionist on graveyard shifts to pay her way though college with determination and drive; and graduated with offers from Johnson and Johnson and Motorola.
A common theme from these leaders: Regardless of humility of circumstance, if you’ve got determination and drive, you can make it to where you want to be.
