Jeff is a C-suite leader with a string of success stories in start-ups. More recently, he joined a mid-size financial firm and was struggling to understand the turnover numbers in the company’s research division. The division VP insisted the turnover was normal, but something wasn’t adding up. So, Jeff asked me to sit down with Scott, an up-and-coming leader of a research team and one of the VP’s direct reports. Jeff selected Scott because he already demonstrated C-suite potential and Jeff valued his opinion.
Scott had worked hard to earn his promotion to team lead and had built and expanded a group of talented professionals around him in the 12 months he’d held the position. Yet despite his success, I discovered that Scott was already searching for a job at another company.
“I know I’ve been here a short time, but frankly, my boss (the “nothing to see here” VP) is insufferable,” he shared. “There’s no way that continuing to work under this pompous blowhard is good for my career or my mental health.”
Early in the role, Scott began to suspect he’d landed under the wrong leader. “I would work to solve a difficult problem for weeks, and my boss would always present the solution as his own. I don’t think he once shared credit, even though he hadn’t done any of the work,” Scott said. Beyond this, Scott’s boss would never admit that he didn’t have an answer. He frequently touted bogus solutions that the team had no data to support. “Fake it till you make it, he’d tell us,” Scott shared.
Scott wasn’t the only frustrated team member. Through our discussions I learned at least four of his colleagues were actively job searching because their boss had failed to understand that he’d get better results by leading with humility rather than bravado.
Research shows that humble leaders are those with traits that Ray didn’t demonstrate:
- Humble leaders know themselves well. They are accurate in their appraisal of their capabilities and shortcomings. Moreover, they’re reflective and introspective, so they learn from both professional and personal experiences.
- They are committed to self-improvement. With a healthy dose of intellectual curiosity, humble leaders are lifelong learners who believe their talents and abilities can be continually developed. They apply this same belief when it comes to the capabilities of their team.
- Humble leaders recognize other’s strengths. Beyond this, they appreciate other’s contributions. Unlike Scott’s boss, they are not vying for the first-in-line spot for credit. Instead, they’re pushing members of their team to the front of the line.
- They are willing to accept criticism. Humble leaders recognize that they might only sometimes be right or have the market cornered on the best ideas. They’re aware that they have cognitive biases and demonstrate what researchers call intellectual humility. Confident that good ideas come from everywhere, they solicit and welcome input from others. Most importantly, in the face of new evidence, they are willing to reconsider their opinion.
- Humble leaders foster well-being in the workplace. They actively build cultures where others feel valued, respected and included and welcome diverse thinking. They care deeply about the quality of each person’s daily work experience.
- Humble leaders build worker confidence. They believe in the capabilities of team members and celebrate each person’s capacity to achieve goals. Because of their support, team members grow in self-confidence, allowing them to deliver better results.
Retaining top performers and keeping them engaged and delivering in today’s economy is not a task for the faint-hearted. With a global workforce that’s increasingly diverse, maintaining a healthy ecosystem within your organization has become even more complex. You need leaders who effectively interface with people from different cultural, ethnic, political and lifestyle viewpoints. Look for intellectually humble leaders because they excel at openness to new ideas and are far more likely to be accepting of people with different beliefs, and are less defensive when others challenge their perspectives.
While someone with a commanding personality and assertive behavior may get your attention, the benefits of building an organization with humble leaders are far superior in impact. It strengthens the bond between your leaders and their teams, which is essential to engendering trust. Best of all, when teams view leaders as authentic and approachable, they’re far more likely to step forward with ideas, as well as share concerns about what might not be going well so issues can be addressed in a timely manner. Good ideas, as well as potential problems, will bubble to the surface faster, allowing your organization to be more agile in capitalizing on opportunities and recovering from setbacks.
Remember, a leader who must always be right impedes innovation.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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