In this rapidly changing world, leadership is vital for survival. However, what makes a great leader? Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors of our time believes that humility is the answer.
When we think about leaders, we normally picture a self-confident person with charm and authority. But according to Buffett, real leadership begins with humbleness. This may appear strange initially but let us have a closer look at what humility means in terms of leading people.
Humility does not mean being weak or lacking confidence. Instead it means understanding one’s personal limitations and being open to learning from others. A humble leader recognizes that he doesn’t have all the answers and asks his team members for suggestions and comments.
With the cut-throat business environment that prevails today, leadership can be very well boosted by a humble disposition. It creates an atmosphere for collaboration and innovation where team members feel valued and empowered to express their own thoughts.
Again, it is through humility that leaders can create strong relationships founded on trust and respect. A leader who is humble tends to be more open-minded and sympathetic thus promoting openness in communication as well as transparency among team members.
Conversely, pride and super ego are dangerous features of any leadership. Overly confident leaders tend to ignore others’ viewpoints besides failing to see their weaknesses, which results in flawed decision-making process without any accountability at all across the firm.
Having been a leader myself, I have come to appreciate the importance of humility though personal experience. In my early career, I believed that being a leader involved knowing everything and always taking charge. Nevertheless, this kind of thinking confined me and limited both personal growth and team success.
Not until I accepted humility did I start flourishing as a leader. To begin with, I began to talk less and listen more when interacting with others, seeking their opinions and taking them seriously. Moreover, unlike the previous attitude of hiding mistakes, it became easier for me to admit when wrong in order to learn from them.
By changing my mind-set like this my leadership could be improved for better; still it brought back life into my organization’s culture again. Members of staff felt more committed and motivated when they realized that they were being listened to attentively while their contributions mattered.
BEing humble is the main feature of a great leader. It helps leaders create strong relationships, encourage creativity and bring success to their organizations. Warren Buffet wisely said, “the best measure of a leader is how they treat others; you should be modest and magnanimous.”
Therefore, let us aim to lead with humility knowing that our true strength lies in accepting our own limitations and empowering those around us. This way we can make for ourselves as well as those we lead a better day ahead.