Humility is a required virtue of principled leaders. The English word humility is derived from the Latin word humus and humilis, which means earth or soil. It is a state of understanding and accepting the authentic, although limited, position, power, and authority of man when seen in the broad context of universal principles. It is these exact and immutable universal principles that have been around from time immemorial that actually control human affairs. Only when the leader sees himself in his true smallness and imperfect condition can he be humble enough to lead others in great endeavors.
Sun Tzu tells us that to know one’s self is an important part of becoming an invincible and effective leader. Humility requires brutal honesty about the true character whose image is being reflected in the mirror. If, as a leader you see a superman or kingly emperor staring back at you, it is time to get rid of that lying mirror. It is doubtful that those who truly know you and work with you daily see that same image of a superman or king. The mirror is only lying to you. Brutal honesty about whom and what you are leads to humbleness, which is the foundation for principled leadership.
To be the effective principled leader, humility is not an option but an unforgiving mandate. C. S. Lewis admonishes us to take off the “silly, ugly, fancy-dress” we have gotten ourselves into, and stop strutting about like idiots. Strutting around in that false self with all the, “Look at me, and aren’t I a good boy…posing and posturing.” If that is you, you are not fooling anyone, only that image in the mirror. The adage that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time rings true. We may have the title, rank, the corner office, and all the other benefits of high position, but in actuality, we are not as important and powerful as our vanity would have us believe. Only when we are humble enough to admit this to ourselves and conduct ourselves according to the awareness of our true station in the universe are we able to lead principally.
Andre’ Comte-Sponville tells us, “Humility is the virtue of the man who knows he is not God.” The influential philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote that true humility is being conscious of our moral insignificance when compared to the natural laws. The lesson for the leader is to understand that natural laws or universal principles, that are as old as the universe itself, control the effectiveness of our decisions and our relationships. It is vitally important for leaders to understand that we are not the center of the universe where everything rotates around us. Understanding this important truth will negate the egotistical I-centered view of leadership practiced by those who think they are all things to all people. Understanding this fact is humbling to all who grasp its reality and significance. It is a first step to becoming a significant leader of principle.
Some people have a difficult time thinking about leadership and humility simultaneously. It is like “pickles and ice cream,” some things are paradoxical and do not seem to go together naturally. This can be seen in the on-going battle between vanity and humility in our organizations today. In today’s knowledge based and ever-changing global economy, leaders who understand and model humility are the ones who will gain a moral advantage over their competitors. William Steere of Pfizer Corporation believes that arrogance, the lack of humility, keeps companies from being agile and flexible. These companies and their leaders fail to see and react quickly. They miss opportunities to work as a team by choosing to go it all themselves. Humility is required for leaders to step down from the mighty throne and mingle among the masses. It is here, in the field and on the factory floors, where the effective solution to strategic problems can be best solved and future problems avoided.
The wise leader understands that he is subject to the cause and effect consequences of adhering to or in disregarding of universal principles. According to Jim Collins in his thoroughly researched book, Good to Great, highly effective Level Five leaders display humility and modesty. Leaders who failed to exhibit humility, but rather projected vanity and super-egos, contributed to the demise of their organization, or at a minimum, the continued mediocrity of their organization. Organizations and its leaders are humbled when they wisely understand that they are just a small part of a holistic system that is controlled by universal principles. Only when leaders are humble can they begin the journey of principled leadership.
Humility, being the great virtue it is, can strengthen, empower, and imbue the leader with the moral authority necessary to lead their organizations more effectively. Leading by moral authority, rather than positional authority, is the most effective way for twenty-first century leaders to ensure their organizations will be successful, and they as leaders, are significant. To lead with moral authority, those whom we lead must see our basic goodness more than our perceived greatness. This goodness is exhibited through our sincere and authentic concern for others. To lead by moral authority the leader must lead principally and it begins with humility.
Humility is a noble virtue found in the universal principles and in the laws of nature. Leaders never stand as tall as when they are humble enough to be honest and authentic in the service of a great cause. “Honesty and humility are sisters; ‘Pitiless, lucid honesty, and honesty without illusions, is for those who are honest, a continual lesson in modesty; and, conversely, modesty, for the modest, is an aid to honest self-regard.’”
Everyone should take the mirror test from time to time, the superman and the king prince, as well as leaders who are immodest enough to think they are truly principled leaders. Principled leadership demands constant vigilance of our character, and it starts with humility.
1 E Gerald Michaelson, The Art of War for Managers: Fifty Strategic Rules (Avon Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation, 2001).
2 C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1952), p. 99.
3 Andre Comet-Sponville, A small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of Philosophy in Everyday Life (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p. 141.
4 Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, (H. J. Patton, Trans.), (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1964).
5 Lorin Woolfe, The Bible on Leadership: From Moses to Matthew - Management Lessons for Contemporary Leaders (New York: American Management Association, 2002), p. 70.
6 Ibid., p. 82.
7 Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap…and others don’t (New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., (2001).
8 Andre Comet-Sponville, A small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of Philosophy in Everyday Life. (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p. 146.
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