“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” – Rick Warren
When you are a leader, it is obvious to you that the success of your team can increase your own success. People often confuse having a sense of humility with being insecure. But in truth, being a humble person is simply about considering others more and thinking of yourself less. By being humble and thinking of the people you are expected to lead more, you can increase their confidence, security and ultimately, increase their performance level.
Here are a few ways you can develop more humility and become a better leader.
1. Practice self-control
Practicing self-control is more than saying no to dessert. It is about controlling your reactions and not allowing yourself to always say the first thing that comes to mind. When your self-control increases, the people around you will see you as the type of stable and approachable leader everyone likes to follow.
2. Always say “please” and “thank-you”
Using your manners is probably not something that you would instinctively associate with being humble. When you are leading others, they know that you could simply tell them what to do, but asking them respectfully and displaying gratitude when they do what is expected of them shows them that you are a secure person who thinks highly of them and is not too proud to say so.
3. Apologize when you are wrong
Apologizing can be an uncomfortable task for anyone, but, one of the most important things you can do as a leader is recognize when you have made a mistake and be humble enough to apologize. Occasionally, leaders set themselves apart from the people that are following them so much that it seems like they have placed themselves on a pedestal. When a leader apologizes, it does not diminish the level of respect their employees feel for them, it substantially increases it.
4. Remember that you are not solely responsible for the successes you’ve achieved
As a leader, it may be easy to look at your history and feel responsible for the success you have had. But in truth, the most successful leaders often had a team of people cheering them on and helping guide them to where they are in life. It could be a high school coach that wouldn’t stop pushing you, a spouse that never stopped believing you, or a child that always looked up to you. Whoever it is that helped guide you towards success, remind yourself of them often and don’t be afraid to humbly attribute your success to their role in your life.
5. Be willing to make the right choice, even when it is the hard choice
As a leader, you may find that there is a delicate balance between doing what is ideal financially and doing what is ideal morally. Whenever possible, take the moral highroad and allow your company to take the temporary hit. There may be times where you cannot provide the biggest raise or cheapest benefits to your employees, but when you humbly seek to do what is best for them as often as possible, they will feel loyal to you as a leader.
Humility is not a skill that is developed or honored in society the same way it once was, but the effects of being a humble person are still far-reaching. Making the choice to become a more humble leader will improve the morale around you and increase your inner happiness. Doing the best you can for others can be tiring and even frustrating at times, but behaving with humility is always a worthwhile investment that it will not go unnoticed!
Now I’d love to hear from you. If this article helped you, please share it with a friend and let me know what skills you excel at as a leader!
