Help me be the leader you have called me to be!
Are You a Godly Humble Leader?
Are you a humble leader?
Humble leaders regard the needs of others ahead of one’s own. This drives me directly towards Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in HUMILITY value others above yourselves, not looking towards your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” Humble leaders think of their self less, not less of their self. They are fulfilled by helping others achieve fulfillment. A leader with a humble approach lifts people’s spirits, self-esteem and confidence.
I’ve been writing about this in recent posts. (HUMILITY) If you want to harness the power of humble leadership, I recommend that you start by assessing your behavior. In my last post I shared three key questions; here is one more for you to consider.
Do you search for sources of blame when things go wrong? Are your stories getting more creative as you try to avoid judgment? ( Remember only God does the judging and we are called to assess our reality and situations as they arise.) Is throwing people under the bus more the norm than the exception? Try to recognize that blame causes more damage to your reputation than the initial problem. Blame generates guilt that may grow into shame. Respect and trust are earned only when you accept responsibility for a situation, learn from it and take steps to avoid a repeat scenario. Admit to your people that you don’t know everything and you’re open to learning new ways to improve efficacy and productivity. Swallowing your pride is a major step toward achieving humility.
Making Adjustments
Leaders can certainly change—at least to a degree. Behavioral adjustments and upgrades are possible, but they take work. An entire overhaul of your behavior is generally not workable and may indicate you’re not in the correct role and the same is true for those you assess in their roles.
A cognitive decision to improve is only the first step in practicing humility, point out Merwyn A. Hayes and Michael D. Comer in, Start with Humility: Lessons from America’s Quiet CEOs on How to Build Trust and Inspire Followers (CreateSpace, 2010). Change is proportional to the effort you put into it. Lasting results are achieved only after rigorously practicing new behaviors.
AWARENESS – ASSESSMENT – REFLECTION – ASSERT CHANGE – REPEAT!
Welcome to leadership!
Training your brain requires focus, repetition and ongoing feedback from others. Consider hiring a qualified professional coach (moleadershipcoaching) to help you adopt a humbler approach to leadership. The rewards are well worth the investment.
What do you think? Are you a humble leader? How does your faith influence your leadership? Do you call yourself a Christian CEO or Christian Leader? I’d love to hear how you integrate your faith and leadership. I can be reached here mottestad@cbmc.com , LinkedIn or by text at 714-267-2818. I seek to meet leaders who desire to lead well and hear the voice of God. Let’s connect. Here is my calendar.