One of the most brilliant people I’ve ever heard speak is Dr. Corne J. Bekker of Regent University. In citing a 2001 Harvard Business Review article by organizational guru Jim Collins, Dr. Bekker lists the following as key traits for humble leaders:
- Personally humble leaders demonstrate a compelling modesty. They shun public adulation and never boast.
- Personally humble leaders act with calm and quiet determination, not relying on inspiring charisma to motivate but rather inspired standards.
- Personally humble leaders avoid personal ambition in favor of multi-generational organizational growth and development.
- Personally humble leaders are self-reflective and tend to appropriate blame towards themselves are not others.
All of us who lead others need to go through the list and evaluate how we stack up in these keys. If we find an area in which we need work, let’s do it. Healthy organizations are led by humble leaders.
Lead well.