What Makes A Good Leader? Humility
Humility is such an important (and frequently overlooked) trait that leaders can have. As I’ve mentioned before, defining a word or phrase is useful for teams to do so they’re all on the same page and can avoid confusion.
Humility:
Freedom from pride or arrogance.
...the quality of being humble. Humility comes from the Latin word humilis, which literally means low. ... Someone who spends their life taking care of others shows humility.
“Taking care of others” - that’s what I want to get at here. As the cheesy cliché goes, humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. Humility is when we know that we don’t know it all and can’t do it all on our own. Leaders must take input and advice from people on their teams for many reasons; improving team cohesion, hearing a wide array of views and experiences, creating an environment where people feel heard and cared about.
If it’s hard for you to remember to ask others for their perspectives on your team, consider creating a process around asking for input.
Structural examples:
You could add an item on every department meeting agenda to specifically ask for feedback, input, advice, and different perspectives. Stick to the agenda and make sure there’s always time to listen to people on your team.
Set up collaboration meetings. Remind the team that everyone’s voices are valuable.
Behavioral examples:
Make it a habit. Before making a final decision, be sure you’ve asked others for their perspectives. (And not just other leaders or executives! Ask people in lower-level roles for their input. Sometimes they have the most beneficial perspectives based on who they interact within your customer base.)
Encourage others when they show humility. Let them know that you noticed it and how it helped the team.
Give credit where credit is due. Don’t shut down ideas or steal ideas and present them as your own.
Be open-minded when hearing alternative solutions to your own -- ask questions so you can learn why others think the way they do.
Examples of humility submitted on Instagram by our followers @vaxacollective when asked, “What has a leader done or said to you that was inspiring or built trust?”
It says a lot when, on my first day at a new job, the leader asks me what I think about something; and then they do what I suggested.
Job shadow me for a day.
Acknowledged their own shortcomings.
Admitted when they were wrong.
They made me do slightly more than I was doing to show me that I could do it.
We will make it happen. Together.
Saying, “I see how hard you’re working at overcoming this. It’s valuable! I see how challenging it is.”
I used the phrase, “I work for…” and they quickly said, “You don’t work for us, you work with us!”
Take care of your people and the work will figure itself out.
Honest, immediate, and direct feedback always.
They walked me through a mistake I made to understand it, let me learn from it, and moved on.
If you have any questions about how you can know what your own leadership style is, email me at haley@vaxacollective.com or leave a comment below.
Consider taking the PI behavioral assessment to learn what your drives are, and we can go over your results.