
Humility can be defined as “Having a modest view of one’s importance”
I believe that leaders must demonstrate humility in their ACTIONS and their WORDS.
ACTIONS
A powerful example of humility through actions can be found inside the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team.
They have a policy after an international fixture of “Sweeping the Sheds” which is their term for the dressing room. Nominated players will take brushes and sweep up the mud and debris rather than leave if for somebody else to do.
One might suspect this will be the youngest most junior of players but often it is the senior players. The players that are the leaders in the group, that supporters idolise and whom receive the majority of the plaudits from the sporting media.
This act of humility is invaluable in fostering the unity and team spirit that has made them such a consistently high performing sporting team.
Not every leader is a sporting superstar but we can all find our equivalent of ‘sweeping the sheds.’
WORDS
In my opinion the best leaders display humility in their words. They consistently treat everyone in their organisation with respect and consideration irrespective of their seniority or experience.
Leaders should role model the behaviour they want to see in their staff and organisation. Humility in actions and words is an essential behaviour and invaluable in shaping their organisations culture.
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