Validating the premise from Jim Collins’ description of “Level 5 Leadership,” a study, described in the Washington Post, shows how humility is a positive trait in many aspects of our lives, including leadership.
Humility is a beneficial trait in leadership. While some may talk about humiliation or embarrassment alongside humility, that is certainly not the case. According to a recent Washington Post article by Ashley Merryman, humility is essentially an honest assessment of oneself (both the positive and the negative), within the context of the larger community. Those who are humble see where they fit within a greater context, rather than putting themselves in the center of the universe.
More than a decade ago, business author Jim Collins called out the leaders who personified humility in his book “Good To Great. ” Identifying humility among the characteristics of “Level 5 Leadership,” he talked of “personal humility and professional will,” and described how such leadership drew organizations into success, lasting long after that particular leader had stepped aside.
