He
who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good. ~~ Confucius
Do you struggle with humility? Are you a poor listener? Do you forget to acknowledge others? If you want to improve your leadership skills,
pick up this book with an open mind and read.
The authors, Hayes and Comer, look
at five leaders who represent humility:
1. Craig Weatherup, former Chairman and CEO of Pepsi Cola
Company
2. Alex Gregory, president and CEO of YKK Corporation of
America (the zipper company)
3. General (retired) Frederick Franks, former Commander of the
US Army XVII corps, leader of Desert Storm Main Ground Attack, and Commanding General,
Army Training and Doctrine Command). Yes, he was the former head of the Chief
Intelligence Agency, who later forgot about humility.
4. Linda Combs, former Controller, Office of Management and
Budget
5. Jim Thompson, former CEO of the Federation of State Medical
Boards. (Hayes & Comer, 2010, p. xii)
Hayes and Comer start by telling you
what humility is and what it is not.
Humility is humanness, vulnerability, ability to keep one’s
accomplishments in perspective, and the soil that grows effective leaders (p.
8). Humility is not weakness, lack of
confidence, low self-esteem, absence of ego, nor lack of confidence, low
self-esteem, absence of ego, nor a lack of assertiveness, ambition, nor
speaking out (p. 8).
Hayes and Comer go on to do what
most other leadership books do, tell you to self-assess. Find out if you are an authentic leader? “One of the most overlooked characteristics in
authentic leadership is humility, the overarching virtue that enforces all the
other virtues common to exceptional leaders:
Honesty, integrity, wisdom, confidence, compassion, and courage” (p.
18).
The final section of the book is on
How Humility Demonstrates Itself. Hayes and Comer list six humble competencies,
explaining each one and listing the behaviors that model the competency. They
also provide coaching tips.
CONCLUSION
The final stage of this book and the process of applying
humility to your own personal leadership style are to sustain what you have
learned from reading the book. The final
section of the book is cues for engaging the brain to put the action into what
you have learned.
Dr. Andree Swanson
Reference
Hayes, M., & Comer, M. (2010). Start with humility: Lessons from America’s
quiet CEOs on how to build trust and inspire followers. Westfield, IN: The
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.
