Have Humility

People love a leader who is confident, but they don’t like leaders who are arrogant. That’s sometimes a hard message to get across to both rising and veteran leaders alike, considering how the media and society often praise and promote celebrities, politicians, and other people who act high-and-mighty. However, there’s really no bigger turnoff than an arrogant leader who behaves entitled or consistently communicates to others that their ideas and opinions don’t matter. Like we said earlier, it isn’t always right to be right.

As someone who is striving to lead effectively, you want to watch out for arrogance. Make a commitment to become conscientious about managing this behavior and balance your ever-growing confidence with steadfast humility. Listen to and value people’s points of view. You’ll learn more from others and naturally attract people, build stronger relationships with them, and earn their respect.

Over the years, MAP has worked with a number of exceptionally talented clients in all the major industries. When we first started working with some of these clients, they were arrogant. The notion they might not know all the answers to their problems was inconceivable to them. Moreover, when they first came to MAP, they were struggling to get the results they wanted from their organizations. Yet they never thought their egos might be a big part of what was in the way. These types of leaders have traditionally been tougher to coach. But some who stuck with the coaching managed to double and triple profits and revenues. What was the common thread in their eventual success? These leaders came to admit they did not have all the answers. They were able to let go of the ego and ask for and accept help.

Regardless of the industry, some leaders still sometimes succeed in life despite this toxic characteristic. It’s daunting, really. But are they truly successful if they’ve hurt others in their leadership journey or if they left a damaged reputation in their wake? The lesson here is, you are responsible for how you carry and lead yourself.

How do you know if you’ve got some issues about being arrogant? Think about leaders you’ve known who’ve demonstrated this quality, note their behaviors, and ask yourself if you’re exhibiting the same ones. Essentially, arrogance translates into someone who is all about themselves or who:

 

• doesn’t invite, listen to, and value others’ ideas and opinions;

• thinks and regularly communicates that her/his way is always the best or only way;

• uses lots of “me” and “I” versus “you” and “we” language;

• acts entitled, such as always going first or deserving the best;

• makes overbearing, presumptuous decisions or statements;

• takes an anti-teamwork approach;

• seems to have a lot of unexplained enemies;

• imposes her/his will on others; and

• provides lots of unsolicited, unwanted “advice.”

 

It’s not necessarily easy to swap out arrogance for confidence. If you need to change, realize it’s going to require hard work to achieve a style of leadership that is confident yet retains an air of humility, asks more for input, listens better to others, and takes time out to engage co-workers or direct reports, those you manage directly. These are all very doable disciplines that can produce transformative results for your leadership credibility and, eventually, earn that much-needed respect. Here are three habits to enhance humility:

 

Look beyond you for answers. Read and learn about some of the most famous leaders and note how arrogance has hurt some while the right dose of confidence has helped others. These are leaders who’ve learned how to strike the right balance in their behavior. For instance, if you read books about Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or Dwight Eisenhower, you will learn that these impressive role models were great leaders who exuded the virtue of humility while remaining extraordinarily confident. You can also look toward people you know personally who, although they may have much to brag about, are very humble about what they have, what they’ve accomplished, and how they’ve achieved success. These are self-assured types who also make humility look easy. Observe what they do or don’t do, picking up their habits that will best serve you.

Adopt a teamwork mindset. Disciplined Leaders live and die based on the performance of their team. You will find that many of the best business leaders talk about their team and keep them in the spotlight, not talking about themselves. These leaders understand their role is to help their team be successful and give them credit every time credit is due. Through these actions, such leaders earn that crucial respect, build loyalty, and consistently get their desired results. They know that by recognizing others’ successes, refraining from talking about their own accomplishments, is a part of humble leadership. These actions are the opposite of being selfish or only thinking about their own success.

Grow awareness of your verbal and body language. It’s important to understand all you say and do creates an image of your leadership brand. Make sure to invite people to consistently share their thoughts and be genuinely encouraged about what they might tell you. Don’t be too quick about shutting down their ideas. Perhaps you have an annoying habit of smirking or rolling your eyes when someone is trying to talk. Maybe you don’t look people in the eye. Whatever you’re guilty of, make a commitment to drop these bad habits and consistently find ways to replace them with good habits that reflect humility. The humble attitude is a genuine mindset, communicating you’re no more important than others on your team. Take it to heart, and others will perceive you as open and welcoming as opposed to closed and uninterested.

 

In Summary: The Disciplined Leader knows controlling the ego is essential to teamwork. Humility is a great virtue of leadership that sends the message your ego doesn’t rule the roost. Humility is about putting more focus on others and less on yourself.