I’m not sure there is a better feeling than driving through the backroads of New Hampshire during early autumn with classic country blaring on the radio. During a recent exploration as my 16 year old son to practiced driving, Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” filled the speakers and I began to think about the leaders in my life who I have respected most.

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind
Those leaders who have had the biggest impact are those whose leadership is rooted in humility. They are always, and I mean always, willing to spend meaningful time with those of least status in the organization. McGraw’s lyrics got me thinking about the role of humility not only in leadership, but in organizational messaging and the intersection of leadership and messaging.
When a crisis descends on a community, steady leadership becomes absolutely critical. Communities need leaders who can empathize with those most impacted by the situation and simultaneously zoom out to see the larger picture. Organizations need a leader who can feel the weight of emotions that come with the crisis and yet not let those emotions impact their decision making. At the core of the most steady leaders is a unique brand of humility that tends to permeate the entire organization.
In an age of social media where LinkedIn is filled with humble-brags sharing paper-thin credit to others while touting individual self-importance, having a leader who is genuinely humble allows a community to navigate crisis without worry of egos shifting organizational strategy. Like many leadership skills, humility is best taught through modeling. Yet, ascending to a position of leadership, if humble, is the exception, not the norm.
Humble leaders live out humility in their daily actions. No job is too small, no conversation of more value than the next, and every community member worth their time. The humble leader consistently seeks opportunities to elevate their team and their community, sharing credit when there is success, and shouldering blame when the team falls short of their shared expectations.
THIS Hidden Brain podcast episode investigates the role of humility in leadership, specifically in relationships between leaders and their communities. One of the most powerful lines by psychologist Daryl Van Tongeren discusses how humble leadership impacts the workplace. “People are more willing to work for humble leaders. There’s higher productivity, more employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and teams are more creative.” Additionally, Van Tongeren found that humility acts as a social contagion, “If a leader is humble, it spreads to the workers, spreads to the teams, and it has this cascading effect where everyone in the organization expresses more humility.”
Organizational messaging is an equally powerful opportunity to lead with humility. When an organization is confident in its mission, understands that each constituent’s perspectives matter, and believes deeply in its missional value, it does not need to broadcast its mission, it merely needs to show it. Like the humble leader who picks up trash along the path or helps sweep floors after a meeting, humble organizational messaging steadily, consistently demonstrates its impact through its very existence. In times of crisis, organizational humility amplifies the importance of the long-tail of trust built through intentional, humble messaging.
Comentários