Humility in Leadership – Positives and Negatives

Humility in Leadership

• Humility is the feeling of “equality” and “not being special or superior to others“. It is both a cognitive and affective (emotional) skill.
• Humble leadership prioritises team success over individual recognition, fostering higher employee engagement, innovation, and organisational growth.
• Leaders like Ratan Tata emphasised empathy and adaptability, promoting collaboration and support over traditional command-and-control methods.
• Gandhiji believed that humility was a necessary quality for a leader who serves others and that a life of service should be one of humility.
• Leaders can develop it by prioritising people over themselves. In a world increasingly devoid of emotional dynamics, humble leadership is more critical than ever.

Quotes on Humility

• “Service without humility is selfishness and egoism” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” – Confucius
• “Humility is not denying your strengths but being honest about your weaknesses.” – Rick Warren

Positives of Being a Humble Leader

• Greater Organisational Success: Recent research indicates this approach leads to higher employee engagement and innovation.
• Crisis Management: Humility is often considered a ‘nice-to-have’ soft skill. However, recent uncertainties like the pandemic and ongoing geopolitical turbulence have repeatedly demonstrated that the three pillars of leadership are ineffective without it.

• Generates Empathy: Ratan Tata emphasised the importance of empathy, encouraging managers to view situations from others’ perspectives, enabling businesses to achieve success by valuing and uplifting people rather than exploiting them.
• Necessity for Effective Leadership: It replaces the outdated command-and-control leadership style with a more inclusive and effective approach.
• Encourages Other Attributes: It encourages vital attributes, including finding purpose, co-creation, empathy, anticipation, and realistic optimism.
• Integrative Emotion: Humility demands leaders be mindful of emotions in every situation. Humble leaders feel a deep sense of responsibility for the lives of others, which drives them to go the extra mile to support their teams in adverse situations.
• Realistic Optimism: Humility, the antithesis of ‘I, Me, and Myself,’ emphasises staying true to oneself. Humble leaders refrain from spouting philosophies; instead, they opt for realism in their plans, carefully weighing the good and evil.
• Light-heartedness: Humble leaders inspire through positivity, reducing workplace stress and motivating excellence with gratitude, humour, and appreciation.
• Intensity is the Core: Humble leaders channel intensity through a purpose-driven focus on benefiting others and driving meaningful success for their organisations.
• Commitment to Responsibility: Their commitment to responsibility allows them to prioritise others above themselves, inspiring those around them to work intensely and reach their full potential.

Negatives of Being a Humble Leader

• Difficult to Draw the Line: Humble leaders must balance humility with authority to avoid appearing weak. For example, despite opposition, Ratan Tata had to push forward decisively with the Nano project.
• Vulnerable Appearance: Humility can sometimes make leaders appear uncertain or vulnerable, especially during crises. E.g., Dr Manmohan Singh, known for his humble and soft-spoken nature, was criticised during the 2008 financial crisis for not taking a more aggressive stance in his leadership.
• Competitive Environment: In competitive workplaces, humility may be seen as a lack of assertiveness or confidence.
• Perception of Dependence: Humble leaders may be seen as “needy” or overly reliant on others for validation. For example, Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence was sometimes viewed as a reluctance to take decisive action, especially by critics favouring a more forceful approach.

Leaders must integrate humility with assertiveness, empower employees, foster emotional intelligence, and embrace continuous learning to navigate a tech-driven world and drive sustainable success.

Reference: Livemint

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 6

“Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.” Discuss the importance of humility for leadership roles. (150 Words, 10 Marks)

Approach

• Introduction: Define the quote and humility as recognising equality, essential for leadership.
• Body: Discuss the Importance and Negatives of humility in leadership.
• Conclusion: Emphasize the enduring relevance of humility in leadership, aligned with Gandhiji’s ideals.