CULTIVATING THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY
1. *BE OPEN TO OTHERS’ OPINIONS*
Humble leaders seek input from others to ensure they have all the facts and are making decisions that are in the best interest of the team, Grow says. No one person has all the answers. If you think you do, then it’s probably time to reassess.
People want to work for people who value their opinions rather than ignore or dismiss them. Effectively humble leaders are comfortable asking for input and can just as easily be decisive when the situation calls for it, he adds.
2. *TEND TO OTHERS’ NEEDS*
Nielsen says team performance is typically much higher when team members believe their leaders are truly looking out for their best interests. That doesn’t mean hand-holding, but it does mean caring about the environment in which your team is working and ensuring that they have what they need to do a good job.
While intelligence and skill are typically good predictors of team performance, Nielsen says that the quality of humility–especially in a team’s leadership–can be a better performance predictor.
3. *ADMIT MISTAKES*
It’s tough to be more transparent and open–even those who consider themselves humble don’t want to look like they’ve messed up. But, as human beings we all make mistakes. When you’re willing to share your own missteps, and how you dealt with and recovered from them, you earn trust from your team, Grow says.
“I don’t mean that people need to be willing to fall on a sword,” he adds. “But we should own up to what we do. Sometimes it’s good to share that with others–that we’re not infallible.”
4. *ACCEPT AMBIGUITY*
Many leaders want to control everything. But some things can’t be known up front or beforehand. You have to know when to take charge–or when to let go and not try to force everything to go your way, he says.
Sometimes, it’s important to admit that you don’t know the best answer, and wait until you have the best information to make a decision or change, Grow says.
5. *SELF-REFLECT*
Like many leadership skills, humility may not come easy to everyone. That’s why Nielsen says it’s important to engage in self-reflection.
One of the most powerful tools is to write in a journal. By chronicling what went well during your interactions or what you could have handled better, you can enhance your perspective and learn from your actions, Nielsen says. There’s almost always room for improvement.
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*Make yourself better everyday*
Aggrey Muhangi
aggreystyles@gmail.com twitter: @aggstyles
reference: https://www.fastcompany.com/3034144/6-ways-humility-can-make-you-a-better-leader
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