Humble leaders seem to practice these five statements regularly:
1. “I CAN IMAGINE _______.” "I can imagine that was difficult... I can imagine you were stressed... I can imagine the situation was complex..." The heartbeat of this statement is an awareness that other leaders and teammates have experiences that must be thought about and imagined in order to be relevant. A humble leader stretches to think of others and what they go through rather than become self-consumed.
2. “I MIGHT BE/WAS WRONG.” No know-it-all leader is humble… or even correct most of the time. They just think they are right. A hallmark of a humble leader is the ability to apologize and admit shortcomings. It sends a powerful message to the team that mistakes both will happen and are safe to happen… even by those in leadership.
3. “I WOULDN’T KNOW, YOU’D KNOW BETTER.” A humble leader knows both what they know and what they don’t know. They know the limits of their skill and knowledge. They aren’t afraid to step aside and default to someone else. In doing so, they ensure the team is equipped in the most effective and trustworthy way.
4. “I DID THAT WELL.” This seems counterintuitive, but a humble leader actually knows what they do well. Similar to the previous point, they know their limits, but they also know their attributes, gifts, and talents. They know they don’t do all things well, but they unpretentiously qualify themselves into their roles.
5. NOTHING. Humble leaders listen well. They ask great questions, and then they shut up and learn. They don’t automatically fill in answers or strategies, but let the team or rising leaders work out solutions. Often, a humble leader can say more by what they don’t say than a prideful leader who rambles on.
Which of the previous statements do you wish you’d say more often?