On Becoming a Humble leader its Relevance

and Trainability

Submitted By
Group 5
Anurag Srivastava-H14013
Mohit Talreja-H14031
Ratna Prabha-H14037
Saket Saurabh-H14041
Srishti Mathur-H14051

Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Prof I S F Irudayaraj and Father Nelson DSilva
for giving us an insight into different aspect of Organizational Behavior which laid the
foundation of our presentation.

Introduction

Humility is one of the most underrated virtues in the present day context. In a world where cut
throat competition, constant strife, lust for power and the desire to succeed at any cost has
become very common, humility is perceived as an impediment. A humble person is thought to be
weak and it is believed that he would be incapable of taking bold decisions when the need arises.
Thus, until recently, humility did not get its due as a leadership trait. One of the primary reasons
for this is that the virtue of humility is misunderstood and misrepresented.
What is Humility?
Before delving into why humility is important and ought to be practiced, it is essential to
understand what humility is. The lexicographic meaning of humility is akin to modesty.
However, this does not imply that meekness or timidity is associated with humility. On the
contrary, a humble leader is secure enough to identify and capitalize on his strengths, gracious
enough to accept his weaknesses and rectify his mistakes.
The concept of humility can be looked at from two levels:
1. Intrapersonal Level: The focus here is on viewing oneself accurately. It is an
understanding and acceptance of ones strengths and weaknesses.
2. Interpersonal Level: This entails an approach that focuses on others rather than on
oneself.
Humility can be understood be taking the following characteristics into consideration:
1. The True Test of Humility is when it is under Strain: Self-regulation and self-control
are essential ingredients in humility. It only when danger approaches that courage can be
judged. On similar lines, we need to keep the context in mind while judging humility. It
can be judged better and easily in context that give rise to vanity, egotism, strife etc.
These are capable of straining humility and thus are the best to test.
2. Easier to Observe with Precision in others than in oneself: This is based on the study
of the judgement of personalities. A report by others is a more accurate manner of
evaluating strengths that involve inter-personal behaviour. Attitudes, beliefs and other
internal behaviours however are better judged by self- report. Experiments to evaluate
humility were carried out via Round-robin designs. In this, a series group tasks were to be
done by the group members who were then asked to rate both their own and the other
group members humility. An analysis of the results revealed that individuals tend to rate
humility in others more accurately than in themselves.
3. Social Bonds Hypothesis: Strengthening of social bonds is a natural result of humility.
Commitment acts as a binder and people are ready to sacrifice their individual interests in

favour of the group. If the members are perceived to be humble, cooperation and
commitment to the common cause is significantly greater than in the case where
members are perceived to be arrogant and proud. A humble individual is readily accepted
and can form strong alliances as opposed to someone who is egoistical.
4. Social Oil Hypothesis: The world today is highly competitive and sometimes intense
competition can prove detrimental to ones relationship with co-workers. In light of the
above mentioned fact, humility can act as that agent which can mitigate and sometimes
nullify the strain that competition wrought on relationships. It acts as the oil that curbs
wear and tear of the engine. Humility may be leveraged as that factor which allows
competition to stay but not at the cost of relationships.
5.

Health Hypothesis: Egotism, vanity and pride more often than not give rise to conflicts
and strife which are not congenial and pleasant. In the long term, these lead to stress and
may have an adverse impact on health. Low humility also implies poor social bonds and
this in turn mean lower support in terms of coping with the stress associated with the
relationship conflict. The same has been corroborated by the findings of the research
conducted by Neal Krause of the University of Michigan. As per his research which was
published in the fall 2012 issueof the Journal of Psychology and Theology, older adults
who were more humble were healthier than those who were not.

Humility: Myths and Facts:-Past Beliefs and Present Reality

The basic definition of humility gives the idea and impression that humility is synonymous with
modesty and lack of pretense. It is about thinking of others before thinking of oneself. This can
often be quoted as the conventional view of humility. The understanding of conventional view
leads us to the parameters for judging humility. Conventional view, however, does not portray
humility in a very positive light. Humility is often looked up to as a weakness and a sign of being
unassertive. But humility is not negative. It is a rather strong driving force behind the success of
any individual. It infuses in a person the patience to handle people and the motivation to inspire
them. The negative connotations attached with humility have led to a parallel thought process
developing to understand humility in the correct positive light.
This new understanding of humility is called Neo-Humility. It emphasizes the fact that humility
is not humiliation. Neo-humility is characterized by several traits which are as follows:
a) Open Mindedness: This trait is innate in a truly humble person. This allows him to
openly accept good ideas and be receptive about new ideas. This way a humble person is
not adverse to positive change. He encourages free thinking, free exchanges of ideas and
acceptance. All these factors are paramount to betterment of an individual and in turn the
organization of which such individuals are a part.
b) Self Awareness: This trait is a reflection of an individual being aware of not only his
strengths but also his weaknesses. A humble self-aware person is not hideous about his
short comings. He rather accepts his weaknesses and welcomes feedback to wean away
those weaknesses.
c) Self Reflection: A humble person is also insightful. He can reflect upon his actions and
initiatives and can be flexible for modifications in his mannerism in case there be such a
need.
d) Showing Courtesy: This trait is the most important component of humility. Humility
accentuates politeness and civility. By showing courtesy a humble person builds an
environment of faith and goodwill without even actually being aware of the impact of his
act. The long term impact of this is a harmonious and well-co-ordinated environment be it
at work place or elsewhere.
e) Attitude of Gratitude: Thankfulness, appreciation and gratefulness are the qualities that
a truly humble person is an embodiment of. He is generous in expressing his gratitude to
the acts of kindness shown to him. He does not stop at just being grateful to others for
their kindness but also emulates their kindness whenever there be a chance to do so. This
is also done involuntarily since the moment you realise that you are showering

gratefulness is the moment that you stop being grateful. Hence true gratefulness is about
being grateful with humility.
f) Sense of Transcendence: This reflects graceful perfection. Transcendence implies a
feeling of going beyond worldliness and thinking beyond the self. When a person attains
transcendence he is in a position to think of the welfare of all. He has surpassed the
feeling of self and is thus in a position to work for the betterment of his organization
without any selfish motives. He can infuse the spirit of selflessness in others as well.
Such spirit can enable an organization great heights since its employees will work for its
betterment out of desire and not need.
Thus we can say that neo-humility enhances both individual and organizational effectiveness

Humility:A LeadershipTrait

Humility is not just a virtue. It is an essential ingredient of high performance and effective
leadership. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins has identified humility in leadership is the
differentiating factor in the organizations rise to the top compared to other counterparts.
Strength under Control:
Leaders with humility abdicate their arrogance. They believe in the fallible nature of human
beings that each one has a combination of strengths and weaknesses of own. Leaders with
humility don't think less of themselves; they just think more of other people in the organization.
Humility makes leaders know what duties and responsibilities they need to defer and delegate
and to whom. To be drunk in your own success and glory blinds your vision and impairs yours
judgement. That is why humble leaders never appreciate or encourage their own publicity.
Humble leaders dont show arrogance even if they create large number of followers. A humble
leader is one who doesnt bring to limelight his own success; instead he brings out
the qualities of his subordinates.

Open to the Input of Others:

Humility makes leaders to take competition seriously as they feel that one may be excellent,
ambitious, and successful, but the world is filled with other hard-working, intelligent and
creative professionals from whom we can learn anytime. Humility fills the leaders with passion
of curiosity to learn from others. One of famous wisdom lines by Galileo goes like this I have
never met a man so ignorant that I couldnt learn something from him. Humble leaders follow
the same thing in their life.
Self-controlled:
Another sign of a leader who practices humility is his or her treatment of others. Humble leaders
treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of their positions. Humility in Leadership
makes leaders who:

Lend ears to others opinions and criticism with an open mind.

Doesn't boast of their own achievements

Clearly knows his or her limitations and admits their failings.

Seems to be shy, modest and vulnerable, but their actions speak a lot

Personal Humility and Professional Will

A True leader is one who inculcates in himself the qualities of both personal humility and
professional will.
Personal Humility:
The act of being modest on ones success is the trademark quality of leaders with personal
humility. Such a leader is also always calm and composed in all his business and interpersonal
dealings. Public adulation is never a factor for getting them work motivated. A humble leader is
never ostentatious. Personal humility may not make them as charismatic individuals, but surely
drives them to effectively follow common established norms. This quality also helps them to
channel their efforts and ambition from self towards the organization and allows them to do
identify the talent in their subordinates for succession planning. Personal humility makes humble
leaders to accept the failures on their part, rather than blaming it on the external factors and other
people in their organization.
Professional Will:
This quality helps humble leaders in taking the organization from Good to Great. The leaders
with intense professional will create superb results for their organization. It allows them to set
their goals high and also relentlessly striving towards achieving those goals. Leaders with high
Professional will take the standards of work performance to zenith and continuously forces the
employees towards achieving it for organization success. They consider teamwork, hard work,
intelligence, diligence, ambition, goal setting, planning, organizing, etc attributes towards the
success of the organization. They basically look out of the window in case of success.
Professional will in leaders help them work towards creating a sustainable and enduring
organization. Professional will in the humble leaders is the reason behind achieving success of
their organizations. One cannot take a company to new heights with just humility; he needs to
have some professional will too.

Jim Collins Level 5 Leadership

When we think of a successful organization, the first thing that comes to our mind that its leader
would be ferocious, dynamic, fearless etc. Jim Collin challenged this general perception when he
came up with its counterintuitive Level 5 leadership. He stated that it is Level 5 leader that
makes an organization successful. Level 5 leaders are a blend of personal humility and
professional humility. Successful leaders have to be ferocious, risk takers but they must possess a
level of humility.
There was a thorough survey done which analyzed the differences between companies that have
grown over the years and companies that have not been so successful. One of the stark
differences that came up was that the successful organization possessed a Level 5 leader. Let us
now understand the 5 levels of leadership.

Level 1 (Highly Capable Individual) - This is the leader that has immense knowledge, skills
and makes effective contribution through those.
Level 2 (Contributing Team Member) - This is leader who is a team player, who contributes
his wisdom to the group and excel collectively.
Level 3 (Competent Manager) - He is the one who is competent in effectively organizing
resources, allocating proper resource to the task.

Level 4 (Effective Leader) - This is the leader who has a clear vision and goal, sets high
standard for work and makes sure that the entire organization marches in the right direction
Level 5 (Highly Capable Individual) - This is the leader that has the characteristics of all the
below level but he blends it with personal humility.
One of the examples of Level 5 leaders is Darwin E smith. When he has named the CEO of
Kimberly-Clark, the company stock had fallen 36% and was running behind the market by 20
Years. His qualifications for CEO were also questioned but he remained CEO for twenty years.
During these 20 years Smith, the company grew manifold. Under his leadership the company
became the leading consumer paper product in the company beating its stock rivals P and G,
Coca-Cola. This transformation is one of classic examples of a leader steering the company from
nothing to great. But the question now is why he was so successful. The answer is that he was
able to blend his personal humility with his will to make the organization grow by leap and
bound.
This brings us to the next question whether it is possible to become a Level 5 leader by learning.
The answer is yes, there are some ways by which a leader can reach to Level 5. One doesnt have
to pass through each level to reach to level 5 but he has to possess the capabilities of each level.
Below are the methods to attain Level 5 status:Ask for Help Sometimes asking for help can be misinterpreted as a gesture of being weak but
one may not be equally competent in everything. Asking for help is advantageous as it helps to
gather insight from some expert to solve the problem and ultimately organization benefits.
Take Responsibility A leader should not run away from responsibility. He should lead by
example both in times of glory and in trying times. He should take charge of the mistake
committed by his team.
Develop Disciple A leader should be disciplined and he should not get swayed, no matter how
difficult the situation is.
Lead with Passion- A leader should be passionate about the work which he has undertaken and
should not be hesitant to display it. Team follows the path which leader takes and if the leader is
unsure of the task then his team will also fall apart.

Cultivating Humility In Leadership

How can an organization cultivate Humility in their developing leaders?

They should be taught to:
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses

As a leader, one must resist the impulse to master everything. Successful leaders are those
who are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They must realize that they may be masters
in their own field but they certainly cant master all the trades. They have to learn when and
whom to delegate the work based on relevant qualification and expertise.
2. Help others

As a leader, one must be ready to walk that extra mile to help and guide their subordinates.
People working under you will often know whether you are dedicated enough to help them
succeed or you are the one takes away all the credit in success while not taking any blame for
failures. A humble leader is one who always acknowledges the successes of others.
3. Be passionately curious

As a leader, one must always be curious to seek out new knowledge. As a leader one has to
realize that even if they possess in-depth knowledge in one particular trade, others may bring
about a different perspective on the subject which will help him/ her update their knowledge
base. A leader who ignores this perspective is a bad leader. By consistently seeking new
knowledge not only will you learn a lot, but also your subordinates will keep you in high
regard. Famous scientist Albert Einstein once said I have no special talent, I am only
passionately curious.
4. Challenge your abilities

As a leader one must always challenge his/ her abilities. The best way to achieve this is to
take up those tasks which he/ she has not done before. Learning new skills to carry out the
work successfully will bring out humility in the person.
5. Resist the temptation of blowing your own trumpet

In times of success, one must always resist the temptation of blowing his / her own trumpet.
It is good to be happy during the time of success but it is also equally important to
acknowledge the fact that success comes after a lot of sacrifice of not only the leader but also
the entire team. To achieve any success one has to face a lot of failures and rejections.
6. Never underestimate others especially your competitors

As a leader, one must always resist the temptation of feeling superior and underestimating the
talent and skills of others especially your competitors. By understanding and acknowledging
the fact that others may be equally talented and hard working as you are, you will never drop
your guard down. Acknowledging this aspect always pushes you to innovate constantly to
keep you ahead of the competition.
7. Listen to others

A great idea can come from any source. It is not that great ideas will come only from you or
from people at very senior level in the organization. As a leader one must create the
environment of out of box thinking in the organization and always be open to listening to any
idea. Most imaginative and valuable ideas generally come from people least expected to give
any idea.
How can a leader develop Humility in himself?
1. Consistently seek feedback
As a practicing leader, one must always be willing to subject himself to 360 degree review
and feedback. Direct feedback from your subordinates, colleagues and supervisors/ managers
will give you a correct picture of where you stand in the eyes of people you work with and
help you to improve your behavior. The criticism received should turn into a plan for growth
and development.
2. Get a coach

As a leader, one must not hesitate to acknowledge the fact that all of us have blind spots. A
leader must always be willing to take the help of a coach to iron out those spots.

Impact Of Humble Leadership

Humility is seen as an important determinant for successful leadership especially in the servant
leadership style. The servant leadership style involve putting the needs of others first and helping
people to grow. A servant leader focuses on the growth and well-being of the organization and
the community at large. His approach is not a myopic leader first unlike the conventional styles
of leadership. While humility may not be as important in the lower ranks, it becomes imperative
at the top of the hierarchical ladder. The higher you go on the hierarchal ladder, the more relevant
humility becomes. Influential but humble leaders create an environment which fosters learning,
innovation and honesty. The impacts of humble leadership are far reaching and include:
Work Environment
Humility in the top leadership of a company has a cascading effect. Humility at the top level
management trickles down to the lower levels and it influences the perception of the employees
towards the organization. A better work environment as a result of commitment, high
performance and work engagement is seen.
1. Good Team relationships: In accordance with the Social Oil hypothesis, humility helps
strengthen social bonds. In an environment where team work is essential and
collaboration among employees is an essential factor to ensure success, humility is
indispensable to building good team relationships which eventually lead to organizational
success.
2. Job Success: Humble leaders are more encouraging. They allow employees autonomy
and open up opportunities for growth and development of the employee. The employees

reciprocate by showing a high degree of commitment and loyalty. They go beyond the
call of duty to ensure success.
3. Feeling of Inclusion: Humble leaders seem to be more understanding and empathetic.
Findings from a Catalyst study show that humility is a critical leadership factor which
helps create an environment that makes employees from different demographic
backgrounds feel included. More than 1500 workers from Australia, China, Germany,
India, Mexico, and the U.S were surveyed. It was found that when employees observed
selfless behaviour in managers, they reported feeling more included in the team. This
selfless behaviour on the part of the managers was characterized by humility. The
employees who felt included were seen to be more innovative and showed a higher
degree of team spirit.
4. Everyday Relationships: Humility determines the connections and affiliations to a great
extent. The cordiality emanated by a humble person invites pleasantness from others as
well. This helps in building convivial and durable relationships. A humble person is
empathetic to others. This empathy helps him in garnering god will of others. This good
will has a positive impact on both personal and professional relationships. The major
contribution of humility towards everyday relationships are as follows:

More popular: The impact and appeal of a humble person is far-reaching.

Humility transpires both admiration and respect. People look up to a humble
person as someone they can seek help and advice from. This in turn builds the
image of a humble person as a popular leader with immense good will.

Fewer disagreements: Humility stems both durability and faith in a relationship

since it dissipates changes of disagreements. A humble person has control over his
emotions. Also, he with his mannerisms can tame the ill-temperament of others.
This helps is pacifying tensed situations. In work environment peace and
cordiality enhances productivity. Hence a humble person can be instrumental in
increasing the efficiency at work place by inducing cordial work environment
through his mannerisms.

5. Within Yourself: Humility is synonymous with self-assurance. A humble leader is secure

about his being. Hence, on the one hand he is not shy of acknowledging his weaknesses
and welcoming advice and feedback to improve himself. And, on the other hand, he has a
persona that enables him to give genuine feedback to others without upsetting or
overbearing them. Humility brings about the following in an individual on the personal
front:

Confidence: The poise and belief of a person being stems to a large extent from
his humility. He is self-assured about himself and hence has faith in his abilities
but does not become complacent about them. Humility dispels complacency and

helps a person in realizing his true potential as it always helps a person in

realizing his true being with modesty.

Contentment: Gratifications the hallmark of humility. Satisfaction comes from

self-assurance that humility infuses in a person. He is generous in his mannerisms
and genuine in his beliefs. Thus he is always at peace with himself and has very
less inner conflicts. This gives him a sense of true fulfillment.

Happy Being Yourself: Humility dispels complacency. It helps a person in

realizing his true potential. It always helps a person realize his true being with
modesty. He is content and confident of himself. This helps him in having a
distinct individuality of his own which he cherishes at all times. His success
makes him more confident but that confidence is not condescending. His true
being is always polite. This helps him in valuing his being and existence.

References

1) Harvard Business Review: Level 5 Leadership, The triumph of Humility and Fierce
Resolve by Jim Collins.
http://www.couragerenewal.org/wpccr/wp-content/uploads/level5leadership-Collins-HBR.pdf
2) Level 5 Leadership, The triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve.
http://hbr.org/2005/07/level-5-leadership-the-triumph-of-humility-and-fierce-resolve/ar/1
3) Level 5 Leadership Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/level-5-leadership.htm
4) John Dame And Jeffrey Gedmin. Six Principles of Developing Humility As a Leader.
http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/09/six-principles-for-developing/
5) Simon T Bailey. 3 ways to Cultivate Humility For Better Leadership. Retrieved 3 rd April
2014 from
http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2014/04/3-ways-to-cultivatehumility-for-better.html?page=all
6) Highsmith, Jim (July 23, 2014) Hubris versus Humility and the Search for Adaptive
Leadership
http://jimhighsmith.com/

7) Caplan, Bryan (July 14,2008) Humility Reconsidered

http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2008/07/humility_recons.html
8) Davis Don, Emerson Hook N., Joshua () Measuring Humility and Its
Positive Effects: Association For Psychological Sciences
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2013/october13/measuring-humility-and-its-positive-effects.html
9)Jacqueline Ghosen. Humility Key to Effective Leadership

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2011/12/13065.html

10) Level 5 Leadership

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/level-5-leadership.htm
11) The Leadership Character Model
http://www.leadershipcharacter.com/model.php
12) Humility is a key to high performance and effective leadership(September 19, 2012)
http://www.foster.washington.edu/centers/facultyresearch/Pages/humility-advantage.aspx