Is Humility the Hallmark of Great Leaders?

“I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinions; but a right understanding of the relation between what he can do and say, and the rest of the world’s saying and doings.” – John Ruskin, Modern Painters (1843)



When there is storm the strongest and biggest trees get uprooted but a simple grass survives by changing its direction in tune with the storm and comes back to normal position after the storm goes away. The tree is very strong with its roots and not in a position to change its direction. As a result, it gets uprooted. But a simple grass changes its direction through its flexibility and survives from storm. In fact, the simple grass stands taller than a tree. It demonstrates its humility and survives successfully from storm. The people those who are successful in the world have one of the greatest virtues i.e. humility.


What is Humility?

“Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.” - William Temple

People often think assertiveness either as aggressiveness or submissiveness although it does not mean the same. Similarly humility is neither inferiority nor superiority complex. It is neither submissiveness nor aggressiveness. It is neither undervaluing oneself nor overvaluing oneself. It is neither talking low of oneself nor blowing one’s trumpet. To put it succinctly in the words of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self.”

Humility is all about modesty. People often confuse between humility with timidity. Both are poles apart. Humility is all against pride while timidity is absence of courage. Humility is admitting that you don’t know everything and asking others for help. You must be able to consult and seek help from your subordinates, or peers who are experts in a particular area. It is treating others with respect without any arrogance. It is about listening to others. It is being courteous with others whether you need help or not. It is also about allowing the wrong doers to save their face in the presence of all. Humility is the hallmark of great people and it is one of the greatest virtues of all.


True Humility Vs False Humility:

“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.” - Edward Frederick Halifax

When people submit so as to gain something from others by way of promotions, perks, or recognition, we may call such behavior as false humility. However, when people demonstrate their simplicity and humility through thick and thin without expecting anything in return we may call the behavior as true humility. Therefore, both true humility and false humility are poles apart and it is always the true humility that alone triumphs in the world.


Advantages of Humility:

“We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” - Rabindranath Tagore

There are endless advantages with humility. You can expect friendly and warm relations from others thus improving your relations with others. You can command respect from everyone. It presents and projects you in a positive light in front of others. It minimizes anxiety and maximizes performance at the workplace. It eliminates the conflicts arising out of ego clashes. The pleasure you get out of humility is truly immense.


Leaders with Humility:

“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.” - Marleen
Charles de Montesquieu

One of the greatest traits of great leaders is their humility. It keeps leaders rise above the rest. It makes them totally different and distinct from others. It requires humility to accept failures. It requires humility to give credit to the deserving people rather than swallowing. In case of a failure, a good leader says, “We have failed because of my mistake”. In case of a success a good leader says, “We have succeeded because of the efforts of our team”. It requires not only courage but also humility to accept the debacles and failures. To put it in the words of Eisenhower, “A sense of humility is a quality I have observed in every leader whom I have deeply admired. I have seen Winston Churchill with humble tears of gratitude on his cheeks as he thanked people for their help to Britain and the Allied cause. My own conviction is that every leader should have enough humility to accept, publicly, the responsibility for the mistakes of the subordinates he has himself selected and, likewise, to give them credit, publicly, for their triumphs.”

Jim Collins in his Level 5 leadership mentions that the leader should have both professional will and personal humility. It becomes obvious that one of the key ingredients of leadership is extreme humility. The level 5 leaders are so passionate about their goals that they don’t mind who get credit for their efforts and energies. They are karma yogis. Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa, to name a few, are indeed the leaders with great humility. They may belong to different spectrum but they stand unique, different and tall from others because of their humility. At times, leaders remain as unsung heroes due to their humility.


How to Practice Humility:

“Wash out your ego every once in a while, as cleanliness is next to godliness not just in body but in humility as well.” - Abbe Yeux-verdi

• Solitude is fortitude. Go to a serene place where there are no external distractions or disturbances. Analyze yourself. Find out your strengths and weaknesses. Look at the ways and means to overcome your weaknesses.
• Practice fasting. Fasting not only cleans the internal system but also enhances inner energies and iron will to become strong and humble.
• Go for meditation. Meditation is the best method of realizing oneself without any external influence. It makes one to think about oneself honestly and helps in bringing the desired changes.
• Always be humble to your superiors, be courtesy with your peers and be kind to your subordinates. This attitude will transform you as a humble person over a period of time.
• Be a karma yogi. Do your duty. Don’t expect rewards for your efforts. Let people judge what you are.
• Remember the slogan, ‘Empty vessels make much noise’. speak less and listen more. The more you listen to others the more you learn and respect others’ knowledge and ideas. It reminds you of the right place you actually belong vis-à-vis others resulting into behavioral changes for refinement and improvement.
• Continuous feedback is essential to know where you stand. Take the feedback honestly without any false ego. It helps you assess yourself how far you are reaching towards humility.


Conclusion:

“Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” - Confucius

Humility is a virtue found in the great people. When people achieve one success after another they become more humble. Humility is also possible as one gets older. The humility index goes up when you reach higher positions.

We can learn through the lives of great leaders about the humility. The common thread connecting across all great leaders irrespective of their areas of interest in the world is humility.

Humility is a learned skill. It is essential for everyone to cultivate this skill for gaining acceptance with others and for achieving all round success in life and for making a difference to the world.


The End