Owens and Hekman stated, “Leader humility is a rare personality trait that somewhat mysteriously produces favorable organizational outcomes.” It is a style that literally means “leading from the ground up,” and when combined with authentic and servant leadership behaviors, can be of great benefit to all people who are fortunate enough to be led by such a leader. Humble leadership became of great interest to me over the past decade as I explored the writings of Graham Standish, who wrote a book on the topic which changed my life and what I believed about leading others. I discovered that humility is a critical trait of leaders who ultimately lead the healthiest organizations, so it has become the focus in my own studies.
Over the next few months, I will be completing my doctoral work, which targets what it means to be a humble leader and the benefits an organization will enjoy when led by one. I will be devoting my time to writing a book on the topic entitled The Humility Factor, which will be completed before the end of this year. So, as I write, I will be sharing the research and the discoveries I make with you in the hope that you will consider adding humility to your leadership toolkit. With each blog post, I will give you food for thought that you can apply to how you lead the people who are entrusted to you. We’ll talk about the various leadership styles and how, by adding humility to the mix, you can be a better leader, and as you do, raise the level of authentic service you provide to others.
William Penn wrote, “Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble individual is a jewel worth a kingdom.” And in the ancient words of King Solomon, God brings favor to the humble. I look forward to the humility journey with you.
Lead well.