Episode 232 - How To Lead With Humility
Summary
Humility is often overlooked as a leadership strength, yet research links it to higher trust, engagement, creativity, and performance. Learn why humility is far more than being nice and discover practical ways to demonstrate confidence, openness, and a willingness to learn.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to episode 232 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership.
When we think about great leadership, humility isn't always the first quality that comes to mind. We often focus on confidence, vision, decisiveness, or influence. Yet some of the most effective leaders demonstrate humility. They don't pretend to have all the answers, they're quick to recognise the contributions of others, and they're always learning.
It turns out that humility isn't just a nice leadership quality, it has a measurable impact on how people experience their leader.
Two recent research reviews back this up. The larger paper brought together 212 separate studies on leader humility and found that, above everything else, humble leadership predicts how satisfied people are with their leader and how much leaders involve others in decisions. It also improves how well teams and individual followers perform. A second review, of 53 studies covering more than 16,000 people found humble leadership is linked to stronger trust, deeper engagement, greater job satisfaction, more creativity, and better performance at the individual level.
The second review also answered a question that's followed humility research for a while: is this just transformational leadership, servant leadership, or ethical leadership wearing a different name? The answer, in large part, was no. Humility contributed something beyond those other styles when predicting how people think and feel about their work. It has its own distinct influence.
So what does humility look like in practice? Across this research, humble leaders share three things in common:
They have an accurate understanding of their own strengths and limitations
They genuinely appreciate the strengths and contributions of others, and
They're open to feedback, learning, and changing their views when presented with new information.
In other words, humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it’s having an accurate view of yourself while recognising that others have valuable perspectives and capabilities too.
So what can leaders do to develop greater humility?
First, become comfortable saying "I don't know" or "I was wrong". Many leaders worry that admitting uncertainty will undermine their credibility. In reality, people often trust leaders more when they're honest about what they know and what they don't know. It also creates an environment where others feel safe to admit mistakes, ask questions, and learn.
Second, give credit generously. When someone on your team contributes an idea, solves a problem, or helps achieve a result, make sure people know where the contribution came from. It's a simple habit, but it sends a powerful message that leadership isn't about personal recognition, it’s about helping others succeed. And when people feel their contributions are noticed and valued, they're more likely to continue contributing.
Third, regularly seek feedback from the people around you. One simple question is, "What's something I do that gets in the way of you doing your best work?" The key is not just asking the question, but listening carefully to the answer. Resist the urge to explain or defend. Instead, thank the person for their feedback, reflect on what you've heard, and look for opportunities to improve.
The key point is that humility isn't weakness. it’s not a lack of confidence, and it's certainly not about downplaying your strengths. Humility is having the confidence to recognise that you don't have all the answers and that other people have valuable insights to contribute. People are more willing to trust, engage with, and follow leaders who are continuing to learn and grow.
Have a great week.
Research references
Chandler, J. A., Johnson, N. E., Jordan, S. L., Brian, D. K., & Short, J. C. (2023). A meta-analysis of humble leadership: Reviewing individual, team, and organizational outcomes of leader humility. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(1), 101660. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1048984322000637
Luo Y, Zhang Z, Chen Q, Zhang K, Wang Y, Peng J. (2022) Humble leadership and its outcomes: A meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 21;13:980322. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980322. PMID: 36619057; PMCID: PMC9811147.
Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer
We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.leadershiptoday.com and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.
Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.
Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:
- Five online courses with workbooks
- Five five day challenges with workbooks
- Nineteen recorded webinars
- A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges
That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.
Get Connected
Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect