“You’re too modest,” the CEO exclaimed to his employees one fine morning. “Be ambitious and keep your head high!” This shock phrase resonated deeply with the employees. Each leader has his own style and this one was not lacking in audacity. To win market share and be recognized in a world that is more and more global you need to stand out from the crowd and make yourself known and recognized. Even more when it comes to the candidates you hire. Are you looking for a rare gem? It’s clear that those who know how to demonstrate their talents and expertise with the most humility will be hired, according to a study from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Humble people tend to perform better individually and in teams and they are generally the most effective leaders.
Between humility and modesty there is a fine line that is nonetheless real. It’s all a question of scale in the chosen mode of communication. No question here of being arrogant or pretentious, but rather of demonstrating pride and communicating your best shots and enthusiasm with passion and energy. Whether you are a company or an individual the approach is the same. Those who trumpet that they are the best don’t attract as much attention as those who let it be known through their successes. Influencing your community to promote itself is an exercise that requires both ambition and humility. Nothing inconsistent but authenticity is key! Be aware that too much modesty can be seen as arrogance. You will remember the high school classmate who always told you he did poorly on his exam but still invariably got a 95%? It put you in a foul mood, didn’t it? In the end you stopped listening…
Humility is admitting your failures but savouring your successes and welcoming honours with simplicity, while respecting the competition. Winning a prize with modesty is useless but knowing how to accept it is an Art. The same applies to a promotion. Why seek to minimize what you have been asking for after months of work? Accepting success is not easy in our Judeo-Christian societies, as if success should be minimized to be more acceptable? Real winners know how to use their success to inspire others to excel. They always pull you to the top. Those who turn their success into failure for others – “I’m stronger than you!” – don’t deserve attention or respect. In this game, social networks and Facebook head the list of these little self-promoting kings and queens! In the corporate world, those who only speak about “me” often end up finding themselves overtaken by someone younger, stronger, more good-looking or whatever and take revenge by spreading rumours that they are little egotists who only get what they deserve. Too much publicity or raw self-promotion only serves to feed a misplaced ego. Humility manifested with this kind of restraint makes success all the more noble.
It’s exactly this type of simplicity that the recruiter must identify in his quest for the best leaders. They know how to speak about what they do well and not so well; they know themselves and don’t try to either embellish or minimize; they focus on facts and results and talk about the advantage of their team and their company. They don’t need to always point out their noble titles (titles, designations, etc…); they wear them proudly without adding to them and they are self-imposed. No need to yap about having the highest airs, be the best looking or largest but they radiate naturally.
– Here are the 6 principles of humility:
- Know what you don’t know!
- Don’t fall in love with your own publicity!
- Never underestimate the competition!
- Inspire others and share your knowledge!
- Listen to the ideas of others, even if they seem crazy!
- Be passionately curious!
Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity, absence of vanity, the ability to serve others – qualities within reach of everyone – are the true foundations of our spiritual life. Nelson Mandela
Nathalie Francisci, CHRP, ICD. D
Partner
ODGERS BERNDTSON
Global Leaders in Executive Search
Read:
Humble leadership: A competitive advantage : http://www.foster.washington.edu/centers/facultyresearch/Pages/humility-advantage.aspx