Why humility might be your greatest strength
I was in a session recently when a Managing Director shared feedback he’d received that unsettled him. His team had just delivered a complex project, and in the celebration meeting, he’d thanked and acknowledged everyone whilst carefully avoiding mentioning his own contribution – spotting a critical flaw three weeks earlier that would have derailed everything.
One of his direct reports pulled him aside afterward. “The team knows you saved the project. When you don’t even acknowledge your role in it, it doesn’t feel humble – it feels like you’re downplaying your contribution”
His response was immediate and deflective: “What I did, it’s just part of my job..”
She had pushed back, gently. “So is theirs.”
This small exchange reveals something interesting about how humility operates in leadership – and how easily it can be misunderstood.
On one end of the spectrum, leaders make themselves too small – deflecting every compliment, avoiding visibility even when it matters. On the other end are leaders who’ve lost sight of humility altogether – claiming credit too readily, struggling to acknowledge uncertainty, or dominating conversations rather than creating space for others.
Humility in leadership isn’t about self-deprecation or making yourself small. It’s not false modesty or pretending you don’t have skills and insights that others don’t. Yet somewhere along the way, humility got conflated with quietness, with not taking up space, with deflecting every compliment.
For some leaders, they’re so focused on elevating others that they become invisible, or for others they worry that any acknowledgement of their own contribution will come across as arrogant.
Genuine humility sits somewhere different entirely.
It’s being clear-eyed about both your strengths and your limitations. It’s knowing what you bring whilst remaining genuinely curious about what you don’t know. It’s being able to say “I was wrong” without it threatening your authority, and “I don’t know” without undermining your credibility.
We often find that humble leaders often have more influence, not less. Their teams trust them more because they’re honest about uncertainty. Their decisions carry more weight because people know they’ve genuinely listened. Their authority comes from competence and character, not from needing to be the smartest person in the room.
Because true humility is not about playing small or diminishing your contribution.
It’s the strength to be honest about what you know and what you don’t, to acknowledge others’ contributions alongside your own, and to remain genuinely open to perspectives that challenge your thinking.
Notice: Humility begins with honest self-assessment – acknowledging that your view of humility may be shaped by the beliefs and cultural context you grew up in.
When you think of a “humble leader,” what specific behaviours come to mind – and where did those ideas come from?
What messages did you receive growing up about self-promotion or taking credit – and how might those be shaping your leadership now?
Where might you be conflating humility with something else – like quietness, invisibility, or avoiding recognition?
Reflect: Your relationship with humility has likely impacted your path as a leader – sometimes opening doors, sometimes keeping you invisible when visibility mattered.
When has your approach to humility served you well – earning trust, building relationships, or creating space for others?
When has it held you back – keeping you quiet when you needed to be visible, or preventing you from claiming work that was yours?
How do the leaders you most respect balance acknowledging their contribution with remaining genuinely open to being wrong?
Observe: The way you handle credit, mistakes, and uncertainty shapes what your team believes is safe – or risky – to do themselves.
What patterns do you notice in your team around visibility and acknowledgement?
Who is making themselves too small? And where might someone’s self-promotion be overshadowing the team’s collective work?
What would shift if your team saw you model both owning your contribution and genuinely changing your mind when you hear something better?
Shape: The culture around humility doesn’t just happen – it’s actively created by what the leadership team celebrates, tolerates, and demonstrates.
What does your organisation reward more: being right or being willing to learn? Does it celebrate those who claim credit loudest?
Where does your leadership team struggle – some making themselves invisible, others claiming too much or struggling to admit uncertainty?
What would become possible if your leadership team modelled owning contributions, sharing credit generously, and remaining open to being wrong?
