Humility in Leadership

Leadership Coaching: Humility. Every worked with someone who can’t admit they got it wrong? How infuriating is that? Everyone makes mistakes. In most cases, the sky doesn’t fall in. So much is lost if those mistakes aren’t acknowledged: the lessons contained within and often the loyalty of those who know exactly what happened.

The more senior you are, the more important it is to role model humility. There are so many good reasons for this, for you and for your team.
Let me ask you a question: how do you feel when you are watching a politician try to bluster his way out of an error? Do you feel respect? Do you feel empathy? No! Me neither! I just want them to own it, apologise and promise to do it better next time. These people have such a large impact on our lives, how dare they disrespect the people they serve.

Leadership Coaching: Humility

In your team or organisation, in the culture you are trying your very best to to lead through change, exactly the same emotional response will be elicited if you don’t own your own mistakes. Engaging people in your mission takes not only enthusiasm but also humility. To keep people alongside you, you need to be prepared to admit when you f**k it up. 

Similarly, I’d guess that everyone in the team can benefit from the permission granted to ‘get things wrong’ from time to time. If you had your mistakes, and act all perfect, then you are encouraging everyone else to do exactly the same. This leads to a dishonest culture. This leads to lost learning when mistakes are understood. This could also lead to an almighty explosion if something went significantly wrong, was hidden,  and then it all blows up in your face. 

Mistakes are SO valuable. They hold a wealth of information for us. Held gently and respectfully, they can teach us how to do it differently next time. That stuff is like gold-dust! Value it, Respect it, Encourage it and Use it.
Never underestimate your power to influence: take your mistakes seriously Own them: Make amends: Take the lesson from it. Its not unlike the behaviour that we would expect from our children really. Surely adults can do that …

You can find Rebecca here at the Daemon Career Coach 

ps the image heading this post is called ‘gateway to hell’. I think that is where a lack of humility probably leads us … x