Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. – C.S. Lewis

Pride and arrogance. It’s been the Achilles-heel for leaders it seems for as long as anyone can remember. There’s a fine line and big difference between a leader who instills pride among his or her people and in doing so lifts morale across the board throughout the organization.

But then there’s the leader who is simply arrogant and prideful in that they are haughty, think they know it all, look down on others, ignores input, is condescending, and are basically just jerks. Chances are, you already have a visual image of this person in mind, don’t you?

Yet one of the most endearing qualities of leadership is found in the person who genuinely walks in humility.  

But what sets this leader apart? How can you spot them? What are their characteristics? Here are four that are obvious.

They ask a lot of questions

Humble leaders are not afraid to ask questions. It’s a leadership hack that is lost on many aspiring leaders due to pride. The proud and arrogant leader had rather make you think they know it all by not asking a question. The humble leader had rather ask questions and be sure of it.

In his book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions, John Maxwell writes, “Any leader who asks the right questions of the right people has the potential to discover and develop great ideas”. And this is true of you.

Your road to success as a leader is not achieved through pride and a know-it-all attitude. It comes from a humble attitude and by asking questions. Click To Tweet

They put others first

In an age when so many are only looking out for themselves, the humble leader knows how to put others first.

Putting others first is all about putting the needs of the team ahead of your own. It’s not just about making decisions within your organization that best fits your needs, but is about empowering all people across the board. The humble leader is willing to make sacrifices others won’t. It’s done out of service and duty to a cause, purpose, and mission greater than self.

They bring people together

This characteristic of a humble leader is worth highlighting because this leader understands that they alone are not the source of all knowledge.

The humble leader is smart enough to know that the way forward is not alone, but with others. Click To Tweet The humble leader knows that in order to sustain momentum and move forward it takes everyone working together. The humble leader is all about bringing people to the table for all voices to be heard.

The humble leader taps into the wisdom and knowledge of all his or her people in order to move the team forward. He does so not by feeling threatened by those voices but by appreciating them. Click To Tweet

They speak less and listen more

The one with the title talks- a lot. The humble leader is prone to speaking less and listening more.

Stephen Covey said, “It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it and appropriately act on it.” And this is what humble leaders desire to do. Humble leaders are like sponges- learning all they can.

Humble leaders are like a breath of fresh air. They are confident in who they are, what they know, and the skills they have. But they are not so arrogant that they are afraid to ask questions, put others first, bring people together, and speak less (or as Simon Sinek suggests – speak last) and listen more. In this day and time, we could use some humble leaders.

 

©2018 Doug Dickerson