There is a paradox when it comes to what we expect in leaders. On the one hand, we believe that effective leaders display humility — they bring out the best in others, are open to admitting their shortcomings and mistakes, and give appreciation and credit to their followers. Recent public scandals demonstrate what lack of humility can do in a public setting. Take United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, whose initial response to the violent removal of a fare-paying passenger from one of the company’s planes led to a public backlash. Or the notorious case of Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, who failed to apologize for dramatically raising the price of a life-saving drug. These figures were skewered for being egotistical, arrogant, and refusing to admit their mistakes.
Research: When Being a Humble Leader Backfires
There is a paradox when it comes to what we expect in leaders. On the one hand, we believe that effective leaders display humility — they bring out the best in others, are open to admitting their shortcomings and mistakes, and give appreciation and credit to their followers. A recent study set out to understand if humble leaders make more effective leaders and whether their teams have better outcomes. The results showed that it depends on what the team members expect. When teams expected egalitarianism, having a humble leader increased knowledge and information sharing and helped those teams be more creative. But the effect didn’t hold when teams accepted that power should be unevenly distributed. On teams where members expected leaders to be dominant and powerful, humble leaders were met with doubt and team members felt unsafe to speak up and take risks. So what’s a leader to do? Match your level of humility to what team members expect. Pay attention to what values the team holds, and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your team demonstrates a desire to share power, your humility can encourage more dense and frequent information exchange and promote creativity. In teams where the unequal distribution of power is accepted, however, members are likely to expect you to take charge and make important decisions.