In the article, “Think You’re Wise in Your Own Eyes? 4 Steps to Develop Leadership Humility,” they discuss the importance of humility in leadership.  The article starts with these thoughts:

Leaders who are wise in their own eyes seem to be the ones who get the most attention in our world. They’re the outspoken, big personality, larger-than-life characters who always seem absolutely convinced of their own wisdom despite any evidence to the contrary. They capture the news headlines, private equity investors, and achieve personal wealth and fame. The only thing they don’t seem to possess is a healthy dose of humility.

Yet a number of research studies have shown that humble leaders are more effective at bringing people together, marshaling resources toward a common goal, and accomplishing organizational objectives.

Humility, especially in leadership, is crucial. But in a world where social media can provide open doors that did not exist before, it can also fuel arrogance. This is not to say we shouldn’t be proud or advocate for our work, but it is crucial we highlight others, online and offline.

Understand that a confident leader can still have humility. In fact,  confidence is necessary for serving others. I love this quote:

The thing about leadership is that it is not about you. It is about how you lift others up to do great things.  Personally, my goal every day is to share a few posts of others to use any platform that I have to highlight others.  The best compliment I received about my last book was that I had highlighted so many others. That meant a lot. If we limit ourselves to our own thinking in education, we not only restrict ourselves but our students. 

My former boss had done so much for me, and every time I tried to thank her, she always put the light back on me.  It meant a lot, and it is something that I am working on myself.

She also told me, “either be humble or be humbled.”  The line between confidence and arrogance is humility.  To keep that in our mind is to remember that leadership is always about serving others.