This week we’ll look at humility; what it is, and how to leverage it for results
What do a 13th-century monk, a 21st-century psychologist, and a former U.S. President have in common?
They all warn us—loudly, in their own way—about the dangers of ego.
Humility. The quiet superpower.
The leadership trait people feel before they ever hear it.
But what exactly is humility? And why does it matter so much for you, right now, in your leadership journey?
Let’s start somewhere ancient.
In the Rule of St Benedict, written over 1,400 years ago for monks living in community, humility is described as the foundation of all good leadership and harmonious life. The idea was simple: when you place yourself at the centre, everything falls apart. When you remove yourself from the centre, everything starts to work.
Modern psychology says something similar. Jim Collins, in his classic Good to Great, described Level 5 Leaders as those who combine intense personal will with deep personal humility. These are not the loudest people in the room. They are the ones who give credit away when things go well, and take responsibility when things don’t.
But humility is misunderstood. It isn’t weakness. It isn’t pretending you’re less capable than you are. It isn’t letting people walk over you.
Think for a moment about someone you’ve worked for who believed they had all the answers, who always knew best, or who always had an answer, even if they were wrong. How did that feel? How did it affect the way the team behaved around them? Were people honest? Open? Creative? Or did they play it safe, avoid risk, and keep their heads down?
Now think about someone who didn’t need to be the smartest person in the room. Someone who listened, really listened. Someone who could say “I might be wrong” or “tell me what you think.” Someone who didn’t need credit, but gave it easily.
Who did you trust more?
Who would you follow into a difficult situation?
Who would you work harder for?
Humility is the suppression of ego. Your ego. Your desire to be right. Your temptation to prove yourself. And for new leaders—especially those recently promoted—that can be a battle.
Here’s an example you may recognise.
One of your team makes a mistake in a meeting. They give the wrong numbers or misunderstand the goal of the project. Your instinct might be to correct them publicly, to show that you’re in charge, to protect your own standing.
Humility suggests something different.
Humility says: pause.
Humility says: protect the relationship, not the moment.
Humility says: “Let’s take this away and look at it together.”
Later, you might say: “My fault—I should have been clearer on the objective. Let’s work through it.” Ownership after all, doesn’t work without humility.
Do this, and your team will start to mirror this behaviour. They will “do as you do.” They’ll admit mistakes earlier. They’ll take feedback without defensiveness. They’ll collaborate rather than compete.
Humility opens the door to high performance.
Think of a recent conversation where you felt the need to prove something—your intelligence, your experience, your authority. Now imagine you entered that same conversation with a slightly different posture: curious, open, willing to understand before you’re understood.
How would the dynamic have changed? How might the outcome have improved?
Start there. You get better at it every time you choose curiosity over certainty.
And as with everything in leadership… your team will follow your lead.
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Ben Stark
Founder, Leadership101