Humility for Leaders (with Lessons From Donald Trump)

Donald Trump’s approach to leadership saddens me, never more so than when he shoved past the Montenegro president at a NATO meeting. If you missed this you might like to check out the short video below. This behaviour would be inappropriate in a schoolyard, it would be inappropriate in a workplace and it is highly inappropriate for a leader in his position.

This incident highlights a leadership quality that Trump lacks – the essential leadership quality of humility. The dictionary defines humility as “having a modest or low view of one’s own importance” or as “the state of being humble”. Even the most fervent Trump supporter could surely not describe the American leader in these terms.

Humility for leaders is all about:

Playing down their own achievements and playing up team achievements
Having inner strength and confidence wrapped in a cloak of modesty
Owning mistakes and learning from them
Acknowledging weaknesses as well as talents
Listening to the thoughts, ideas and feelings of others
Treating everyone with respect, regardless of their position, level or background
Putting the needs of others ahead of their own desires
Encouraging and empowering others to step up and lead
Ongoing learning and striving to improve
Knowing that they will never have all of the answers
Recognising the contributions of others
Genuinely caring about people

I’m fortunate to have worked with several leaders who possess deep and genuine humility. These leaders may not always be the most charismatic but they usually possess a calm confidence that engenders respect and makes people want to follow them through all sorts of situations. Their behaviour builds trust and reduces fear, and in this environment people are willing and able to apply their best efforts and work with others.

I’ve also known some leaders who are the opposite – words such as arrogant and narcissistic come to mind. For these leaders the primary motivation has been to serve themselves and achieve personal gain. Sometimes their high levels of confidence and charisma make them interesting and compelling to followers in the short term but usually this fades as their extreme self-interest overtakes anything good they have to offer. This style destroys teamwork and erodes the efforts of those around them.

If you’re a leader and you can bring more humility to your work you’ll build a better connection with your followers, and will almost certainly achieve better outcomes. Sadly, in Donald Trump’s case I really don’t hold much hope.