Humility & Leadership

Humility and leadership, the two very real callings that apparently are taboo to talk about and work on.

Leadership is very much a two edged sword. On one hand you have overexposed regurgitated philosophies claiming to know the best definition and practices of what being a true leader is all about. On the other hand, if you never study leadership and do not attempt to grow to become the best leader you can possibly be, then your false humility has hindered you from growing as a leader. Dealing with humility is not always easy either. Once people boastfully tell you how humble they are, bragging about how hard they have been working on their humility, they have defeated the exact point they are trying to make.

So how do we have a healthy discussion about humility and leadership without falling into one of these pit holes? I think if we can find some common ground, we can start to identify aspects of leadership and humility that will best serve our circumstances. Here are 3 points I believe that will help to facility a healthy discussion about humility and leadership. 
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1. Leadership requires humility - I believe when humility is installed in a leader, their humility is what allows them to see beyond themselves. A humble leader is a person with great compassion and is willing to make tough decisions for the good of the group.
2. Someone has to take ownership  - We all know when there are too many chefs in the kitchen, nothing comes out right. The same thing can be argued for the opposite. Without leadership, nothing can move forward. Someone has to be designated as a leader in order to mobilize a unit and have everyone move in a cohesive direction. The leader has to be willing to accept the good and the bad and take active responsibility for the results that are produced. 
3. Humility is something you can work hard at - When people brag about humility, you can almost smell the arrogance. This does not take away from the fact that humility is something that does take hard work to become good at. We all have a natural pride that arises when in leadership roles. This can become increasingly toxic especially with the attention and praise one might gain from being in a leadership role. This is why it is so important to work hard at being humble while you lead. 
   

I think one of the best ways that anyone can learn to balance humility and leadership is to set the bar against themselves. In order to do so, you must keep a true inventory on your humility and pride. You must be transparent as a leader in order for your team and those you lead to help keep you accountable. 

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." -  Ernest Hemingway 

Some may say that these are not new tactics or deeply rich insights and they may be quick to dismiss this blog post. I think that is the wrong mentality to have concerning this post. If you are examining yourself as a leader or reflecting on your own situation involving some form of leadership, there is a reason why you clicked to read this. I look at this blog as being fundamental. In order to be able to do anything with a level of mastery, you have to be a fundamentalist at your core. Fundamentals are instrumental to increasing any level of skills or productivity. If you allow these 3 fundamental truths help guide your development of leadership, you will be able to have on going healthy dialog with those in your group about leadership development.

If you are looking for a way to get your family, company, department etc. on the same page, whether you are the perceived leader or not, I would challenge you to take the initiative and use these 3 points as the basis for your next meeting or discussion. The only way to start moving things forward or improving workflow is to get everyone back on the same page and start communicating effectively. I believe these 3 points have the potential to do just that.

Talk soon & God bless,
MG