Skip to main content

What Humility Sounds Like in Leadership


     To be in a position of leadership is usually associated with being in a position of power.  And though the power is real and necessary, it must be balanced with the willingness to respond humbly in situations that warrant it.  It's time we eliminate the misunderstanding that humility is weakness.  In fact, to take a position of humility takes a lot of restraint and sacrifice.  This is difficult for many to do.  Therefore, the weakness comes in yielding to arrogance and dominance because it is easy to do.  The strength is found in backing away from selfish desires and allowing someone else to be successful.
     Not sure what humility looks like in leadership?  Consider these examples:
  • The boss who gives credit to his employee for an idea that allowed the entire department to shine.
  • The manager who was clearly wrong when making a decision on a project and admits that mistake when the project fails.
  • The supervisor who yields her opinion to someone else on the team so that they can have input.
     All of these are acts of humility and heroism.  The leader becomes a hero in the eyes of his or her people because they know how to be a part of the team instead of apart from the team based on hierarchy.  Confident leaders don't feel that having someone else take the lead at times is a threat to their leadership.  In fact, they encourage it because great leaders desire to produce other great leaders.  Only insecure leaders are unfamiliar with the language of humility.  Here's what humility in leadership sounds like:
  • Marty, you're always full of ideas.  I want to hear yours on this new project.
  • Lisa, that was my mistake, and I'm glad you caught it.  Thanks for your sharp eye.
  • Jamal, you're better at responding to these kinds of requests than I am.  Why don't you take the lead on this?
      If this language sounds foreign to you, then find a coach and learn to speak it.  A humble leader is a successful leader.  An inclusive leader.  A caring leader.  A considerate leader.  It is the type of leader than all great leaders must aspire to be.      

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What It Means to Speak Truth to Power

     "Speaking truth to power" has become a common phrase to use when speaking about truth and/or power in a discussion that encourages courageous discourse on controversial matters.  It is an old phrase coined back in the 1950s by the Quakers and is defined as "a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments they regard as oppressive, authoritarian or an ideocracy." (Wikipedia)      I've heard it overused in a lot of ways and not with a clear purpose in its meaning within the context of what was being spoken.  We latch onto certain words and phrases as language goes in and out of style on almost a monthly basis.  In this current generation, there seems to be a new word or phrase created daily and then abandoned when they become overused like worn out sneakers from last year's fall collection.  But words have staying power even if you get tired of hearing the...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Stop Interruptions in Conversations

     So you're sitting in a meeting, and you begin to answer a question that has been directed toward you by your boss.  You get through about half of your response when a colleague jumps in and offers his take and essentially silences you.  There is evidence that if you are a woman, this will happen to you more often than if you are a man, and it's likely to happen to you by both genders.      Interruptions in communications like this happen all the time whether you're in a group offering your opinion or one-on-one sharing a story.  Regardless of the setting, we all find it annoying and rude.  These disruptions of dialogue hamper thought processes, contribute to misunderstandings, and devalue people's input.  So what do we do when they keep happening to us?  A few worthy suggestions can be found in Kathryn Vasel's article,  "Next time someone interrupts you in a meeting, try this" .      But what...
1 comment
Read more

Crude and Rude Are Sooooo Unnecessary

     They call them trolls.  If you've ever read the feedback or input from online readers regarding newsworthy stories, you'll find that somewhere along the way some idiot will say something so tasteless and vile that you wish you were close enough to smack them one good time across the head.  I don't often call people idiots.  I think it's a cruel word, but in this case, there's no other way to describe them.  Well, there is, but I'm too much of a lady to use that kind of language.  However, you can feel free to use your imagination.  They're called trolls for all the reasons the word exists.  The main one is because they troll the comments sections of news stories and make awful remarks in an effort, I believe, to get a rise out of others commenting on the story.  The more controversial the topic, the more you'll find them.  They are crude and hurtful.  They will blame the victim even if that victim is a dead child...
Post a Comment
Read more