The Power of Humility in Leadership

To many people, the words ‘leader’ and ‘humble’ are not natural bedfellows. Yet once they have grasped the definition most employees desire a humble leader, while a majority of managers believe they already are one. What appears deceptively simple is trickier than expected. Narcissism, lack of perception, fixed mindsets, and neuronal default settings are only a few of the stumbling blocks on the path to humility.

What exactly is this sought-after humility? Humility consists of four key elements: 1) Seeing one’s own strength and weaknesses and revealing them where needed for the bigger picture;
2) Appreciating others for what they are, do now and can do; 3) Being open and willing to learn; 4) Understanding that we are all only a small part of a larger picture, easily replaceable and favored by luck and circumstance. Therefore, humility has nothing to do with being weak or hiding the light under the bushel. Instead, it is about clarity, taking a step back from one’s ego and thus being able to serve the greater picture.

The author’s own research with more than 3,500 managers contributes to the canon of positive effects of humility that have been measured by dozens of researchers during the last decade. Humility benefits employees (ranging from better performance, more innovation, stronger resilience to better client relations, and stronger morals), the organization (ranging from better ambidextrous strategies, a better culture to fewer sunk costs) and the managers themselves (ranging from more seen leadership potential to less stress and better relationships with employees). Dozens of case studies, quotes from more than 170 interviews with top managers, lively storytelling of real-life examples, and solid research with actionable take-aways, plus personal assessments, make this an eminently readable and practical book for managers worldwide.