Heather Rodriguez, Director of Quality, TBD Consulting
I have never been one to struggle with self-esteem issues. I have always been confident in who I am - I make mistakes, strive to learn from them and then move on as quickly as possible. My struggle has always been the opposite: Pride. So when I recently heard a speaker at a leadership conference talk about how the most important thing in leadership is Humility, I was immediately intrigued. I want and crave humility, but it doesn't come naturally to me - as a consequence my pride shows its angry face as arrogance which is often alienating to those I lead.
In his book Leading Change, John P. Kotter tracked a group of Harvard Business School graduates. One student, Marcel, emerged as the head of his own company and became a wealthy business man. Funny thing is that Kotter never really thought much of this guy. He didn't show great leadership potential and initially thought that maybe Marcel was just lucky. But after further reflection, he attributed Marcel's success to the humble way he approached difficulties and mistakes. "He reflected on good times and bad," Kotter wrote, "and tried to learn from both. Confronting mistakes, he minimized his arrogant attitudes that often accompany success. With a relatively humble view of himself, he watched more closely and listened more carefully than did most others."
Stephen Covey, the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, writes the following: "Humility truly is the mother of all virtues. It makes us a vessel, a vehicle, an agent instead of 'the source' or the principal. It unleashes all other learning, all growth and process. With the humility that comes from being principle-centered, we're empowered to learn from the past, have hope for the future and act with confidence in the present."
At this year's Leadership Summit, John Dickson, author of the leadership book, Humilitas, challenged my thinking. He explained that it is in humility, not confidence, that we generate learning and growth. With confidence and boastfulness, we are protective and unwilling to listen to others. It is a way of hiding our feelings on inadequacy. Dickson writes, "Those who strive for the heights of achievement, while valuing relationships with family and friends above all else, will find their sense of worth maintained during the ups and downs of accomplishment. Relationships are where security is really found. And since humility - holding your power for the good of others - can only enhance our relationships, I feel confident saying that humility not only signals security, it fosters it as well."
