Employees might join companies, but they leave managers. Too many managers view their position as one of entitlement rather than one of responsibility. In days past, managers would focus on developing their employees. Today they are more focused on self-promotion and securing their position.
A managers’ job is to facilitate a good working environment for his/her employees. The focus should be to help everyone around you succeed. Managers define culture, and culture under-girds the lasting health, success and sustainability of an organization.
The biggest danger of leadership: Arrogance
According to research from the University Of Washington Foster School Of Business, humble people are more likely to be made the most effective leaders. It turns out, humility offers a competitive advantage.
So why has an arrogant or narcissistic leader become the norm?
It has been historically perceived that humility is a sign of weakness and an antithesis to leadership. There is still an expectation that successful leaders are more arrogant than humble. Narcissism is mistaken for self-confidence and toxic leaders seem to be in control of everything.
They are able to provide short-term results but the truth is they leave a trail of destruction in their path. Organizations pay heavily for such managers with low engagement, high turnover and reduced productivity.
Arrogant leaders have a shelf-life within their organizations. They may “rule the day” but eventually people tire of them and their tactics, which lessens overall commitment from the team. Intimidation and threats of punishment
can only work for so long.
The x- factor of great leadership is not personality, it’s humility.” -Jim Collins
The Power of Humility in the Workplace
Leading with humility means focusing on others and practicing servant leadership. Humble leaders:
1. They put people first. There focus is on serving others. They do not get consumed by seeking out more power. Instead, they seek more ways to help others.
2. They admit their mistakes. All leaders make mistakes. Humble leaders own up to them. They don’t play the blame game when things go wrong. Instead they hold themselves accountable. Vulnerability builds trust.
3. They share information and delegate. Humble leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They realize that they cannot do everything. They delegate because the work is more important than their ego.
4. They listen – They are approachable to employees and this allows them to create an environment of open communication and effective feedback.
5. They do not hesitate to give credit where credit is due. They appreciate the contributions of others. They are quick to recognize and reward the efforts of team members.
6. They are empathetic to those in their charge. They genuinely care about employees and employees can feel this sincerity. Empathy allows them to build healthy relationships and bond with team members.
7. They are authentic. They are the same person in every situation. This makes them trustworthy. Authenticity goes hand in hand with integrity. They are individuals of integrity.
“No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people tells all. Integrity is everything.”
Humility doesn’t mean that leaders can’t make tough decisions. A humble leader should not be mistaken for a weak one. It takes strength, courage, and wisdom to practice humility. I have learned that the best leaders are selfless and more concerned with the well-being of their team than with personal titles or status symbols.
Easily offended leaders with inflated egos don’t build strong teams. You cannot be an effective leader if you feel that you are better than your subordinates. No one likes dealing with egomaniacs. Arrogance is a deterrent; it destroys relationships and lowers employee morale whereas genuine humility has a way of winning others over.
Good leaders empower. Bad ones micromanage. It is dreadful to work under a manager who is more worried about pushing their weight around than building relationships. The role of any leader within a corporate framework is to build up the team and to encourage growth.
If we want employees to feel commitment to the organization; we need to show we respect and value them. This takes humility. For loyalty, there has to be a relationship that develops between employee and employer and this develops over time through trust that gets built and sustained. Once people trust you, they will follow your lead. You won’t need to flaunt your title to get them to do the best possible job.
People might tolerate a boring job or long commute, but they are more prone to leave if their boss treats them poorly.
Humble leaders get the best from people. They have more influence, they retain top talent, and they earn more respect and loyalty than those who rely upon ego and power. Want to be a good boss? Start by taking a slice or two of humble pie!
The Writer is Author: The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
