Why Humble Leaders Build Stronger Teams
When interviewing for a new job, you might get asked the question, “Could you tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you responded?” Admitting your mistakes shows that you are a lifelong learner and open to feedback. Employers want to hire individuals that learn from their mistakes, take full accountability, and put processes in place that will help eliminate the same mishaps in the future.
With the expansion of social media, “helicopter parenting”, entitlement culture, and our own inherent trait of selfishness, many are finding it harder and harder to admit when they are wrong. Another misconception several leaders have is that if they don’t have all the answers all the time, they are weak. They think that when they admit they got it wrong, they are a failure and their team will lose respect for them.
In fact, the opposite is true. When you and I take accountability for our mistake, it builds trust. Ken Blanchard says, “When your team sees you own up to your behavior, they see a leader who is genuine, honest, and authentic. They see a leader who is able to set aside their ego for the betterment of the team.”
Leaders who operate in this manner are modeling “intellectual humility.” A Forbes article from Dr. Tracy Bowers defines “intellectual humility” as being sincere, honest, unselfish and thoughtful. It is a set of characteristics having to do with openness, being curious, self-aware and oriented toward continuous learning.
"Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you."
— Andrew Murray
"He (God) mocks the proud, but shows favor to the humble..."
— Proverbs 3:34
Whenever someone comes on our team here at church, we have them read the book “Humility” by Andrew Murray. We understand that in order to be a truly effective leader within our culture, you must be open to change, correction, and feedback.
Humble leaders are effective leaders. Research by the University of Buffalo found leaders are viewed more positively when they admit mistakes, have a willingness to learn—all of which are characteristics of humility and humble leadership. Another study by Ohio State University found that leaders who were humble had teams that shared information more effectively and exhibited more creativity.
Ken Blanchard says that when we admit our mistakes, it exhibits humility and servant leadership as well as being an excellent learning opportunity for your team. Here are some of his suggestions to follow when admitting your mistakes (from his book “Simple Truths of Leadership”):
Be Prompt. Address the mistake as soon as possible. Delay can make it appear you’re trying to avoid or cover up the issue.
Accept Responsibility. Own your behavior and any damage it caused.
Highlight the learning. Let your team know what you’ve learned and what you’ll do differently next time.
Be Brief. Don’t over apologize or beat yourself up. Mistakes happen.
Recommended Book:
Humility by Andrew Murray