There seems to be a common belief that to get ahead in the workplace, you need to have a degree of braggadocio. Humility is not commonly advocated, yet research from Leeds School of Business suggests that isn’t always the case.
For leaders who prefer humility over self-promotion and value the strengths of their team members, there’s promising news. Their path to advancement revolves around building status and nurturing a network of dedicated followers within the organization.
Humble leadership
In this journey, informal career mentoring emerges as the key tool for humble leaders to gain influence within their organization.
“That gives them status in the organization because passing on skills, tips and tricks builds up a lot of social capital,” the researchers explain. “And so they build this network of people who end up being an army of very talented, very motivated, trusting people, which is unbeatable.”
When leaders demonstrate humility by acknowledging their own flaws, appreciating the strengths of their team, and embracing a mindset of continuous learning, they naturally earn the respect of their superiors. This recognition often translates into promotions.
Humble leaders excel in self-awareness, readily admitting their mistakes, and valuing the contributions of others. They serve as role models for growth by openly embracing the process of learning and development.
Benefiting teams
“Humility in leadership benefits teams, individuals and entire organizations,” the researchers explain. “People experience more psychological freedom, authenticity, job satisfaction, improved team performance and motivation. And humility spreads, too—it’s contagious.”
The researchers conducted a survey involving 610 leaders from 18 different industries and 21 job functions. These leaders were part of a development program.
In this survey, the leaders’ humility was assessed by their peers, their mentoring behavior was evaluated by their direct reports, their status was reported by their immediate supervisors, and their potential for promotion was reported by their superiors.
“Results generally confirmed that leader humility predicted leader mentoring behavior, which in turn predicted leader status, and ultimately higher leader promotability ratings,” the authors write.
Doing it properly
While humility is generally a plus for teams, the researchers accept that it can be risky to publicly admit mistakes nonetheless. This can be especially so if you’re looking to earn a promotion, but this is yet more reason to develop a supportive network.
“Choosing a path of dominance is fraught with risk. A single error can leave you vulnerable to competitors eager to usurp your position. In contrast, adopting humility surrounds you with individuals who respect and support you,” they explain. “Mistakes are more readily forgiven, paving a slower yet more resilient path to leadership.”
Narcissistic leaders may have strengths, but research suggests that humble leaders tend to be more effective, showing consistent performance and emotional stability in their roles.
Fostering humble leadership
The researchers propose four strategies for fostering humble leadership within companies and organizations:
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- Reward Humility: Incorporate humility into performance evaluations, acknowledging its importance in effective leadership.
- Promote Informal Mentoring: Recognize the value of informal mentorship over formal programs. According to Hekman, informal mentoring tends to be stronger and more impactful.
- Cultivate Humility and Mentoring: Foster a culture of humility and mentorship throughout the organization, promoting adaptability and growth.
- Implement Leadership Training: Develop training programs that emphasize humility as a crucial aspect of leadership. Highlight how humility can contribute to both individual career success and the overall growth of the organization.
