We have all experienced the emotional outburst of someone feeling entitled and who lacks humility.

I am a big believer in personal responsibility, building confidence and celebrating independence.

The problem, we live in a culture that has emphasized “making everyone feel good” at the expense of being honest.

Our obsession with building everyone’s self-esteem has a price, and that price is often humility.

We are overly competitive, attention-seeking, narcissistic, and obsessed with success and aesthetic beauty.

Even the people pontificating about social justice and virtuous choices lack the emotional intelligence and humility required to present an argument that’s palatable enough to pull people together.

Vanity and self-righteousness impart the impression of absolute truth conveyed without compassion, empathy and understanding.

The fact, we are horrible communicators.

We develop beliefs that obviate a willingness to embrace our limitations and appreciate our fallibility. We are preoccupied with “self” and carefully manicured grand performances that create the perception of knowledge and expertise.

Unfortunately, many people operate by rules of ridiculous dictums like “fake it until you make it”.

In the process, we devote exorbitant amounts of energy to the apparition of success and fail to cultivate the skills required to master the art of discipline and personal improvement.

Many leaders are guilty of avoiding the difficult responsibility of developing better self-awareness. They recite the latest leadership advice but fail to invest the time in applying the principles.

Every leader is commissioned with great responsibility. One personality trait that is nonnegotiable for better leadership is humility.

So how can leaders improve their ability to provide humble direction and nullify the effects of office politics, posturing, hyper competitiveness, and dysfunctional culture?

"Mastery begins with humility."

--ROBIN SHARMA

TO BE AN EFFECTIVE LEADER FOCUS ON 7 SKILLS:

01. LESS ANXIOUS

Reconciling with mortality is a great way to improve humility, and that requires a belief system that emphasizes something bigger than ourselves. Great leaders have a sense of accountability that drives their decisions and regulates their reactions. Living with purpose, urgency and convictions reduces anxiety and keeps us always focused on self-awareness.

02. LESS DIVISIVE

Leaders with humility are less divisive and enjoy more popularity. Not because they play the pretentious game of coercion, but because their affection for people is genuine. They admit mistakes and take full responsibility for their actions. They also model exceptional behavior that becomes a precedent for treating people in the organization.

"Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world."

--MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

03. LESS ERRATIC

Leaders with humility have greater self-control and avoid the volatility of people that let their emotions dominate every decision and every human encounter. They know their limits and become less emotionally invested in the outcome of every decision or situation. They seek success and organizational achievement, not validation for their own ideas of need to be right.

04. LESS INCONSISTENT

A study from Megan Johnson at Baylor University discovered that honesty and humility enjoy higher work-related performance. Leaders and team members that value honesty and humility consistently perform better at work and enjoy stronger relationships with their colleagues.

05. LESS PREJUDICE

People with humility feel less entitled and make better leaders because they embrace anyone with a willingness to work hard, be tenacious, strive for improvement and cooperate with other team members to achieve organizational success. Humble people don’t feel anyone owes them anything, and value tolerance, compassion, great communication and kindness. They are less defensive and express more gratitude, which makes them likable and approachable.

06. LESS SELFISH

People who lack humility are greedy and look out for themselves. They aspire for positions of power for personal gain and view people are accessories to their professional accomplishments. They lack kindness, compassion, and selflessness. Humble people are generous with their time and mentor their teams in the spirit of greatness. Humility and organizational integrity go hand in hand.

07. LESS OBSTINATE

People with humility are less inclined to engage in trivial arguments, posturing and enforcing their opinions with punitive consequences. Humble people know the value of spirited conversations, but they don’t seek retribution or need to vindicate themselves. Less confrontation in the workplaces is a product of humility.

"Every person that you meet knows something you don't; learn from them."

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