Humility

Came across this lovely article in HBR Titled ” If humility is so important, what are leaders so arrogant” via Tanmay Vora’s Blogpost

It is an established fact- we all love working with leaders who are humble, and there is clear evidence from across organizations that humble leaders outperform arrogant leaders. And yet, leaders at every level have a hard time checking their egos at the office door. There have been many occasions, particularly in my late thirties and early forties, where I struggled with the problem, too.

Looking back, when I ask myself why I was so, the Why? Well, for one, I thought that as a leader, I couldn’t be humble and ambitious at the same time. I used to feel that humility is soft and weak at a time when problems are hard. As a leader I felt vulnerable being humble when everyone around me was looking for answers and reassurances. And somewhere deep down, there was also a feeling that admitting my dependence on someone else was a sign of weakness.

I see now that humility is an essential ingredient that is necessary for fostering collaboration, trust, and better decision-making. The real strength in leadership is in having the humility to acknowledge that you are just an enabler and you don’t have all the answers.