Examples of humble leadership in our world seem to be few and far between, but that doesn’t mean that they can only be found every 110 years. This type of men and women are actually all around us but by virtue of their personality they don’t often stand in the limelight.

Learning to be a better Humble Leader is a goal worth shooting for. Some of us will embrace it more naturally than others, but most of us are capable of attaining this attribute.

The Humble Leader

For those of us who are building an online presence we should already know that sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of what we do. The attitude of giving what we have is what makes us able to gain an audience in our market.

Here’s an interesting list from “Catalyst” , a community of change makers:

Here are 10 attributes of a humble leader:

Dangerous Trust – Humility always demands a certain level of trust. A humble leader is willing to take a risk on others, trusting them with the sacredness of the vision, even at the chance they may be disappointed with the outcome.

Sincere Investment – Humble leaders know the vision is bigger and will last longer than they will, so they willingly invest in others, raising up and maturing new leaders.

Gentle, but strong – One can’t be a leader and be weak. Every position of leadership will provide a challenge to the leader, but humble leaders have learned the balance between being gentle and remaining strong. (Think Jesus!)

Readily Admits Mistakes – Everyone makes mistakes. In fact, we often learn more through failure than through success. The humble leader is quick to admit when he or she has done wrong and deals with the fault-out without casting blame or making excuses.

Forgives easily – Leadership is filled with disappointment; often at the expense of other’s mistakes. A humble leader forgives easily, remembering how many times he or she has been forgiven.

Quickly diverts attention – We all like to be recognized for accomplishments, but a humble leader is quick to divert attention to others, sharing the limelight for successes with those, who many times, may have even had more to do with the success than the leader did. They celebrate the success of others louder than personal success

Remains thankful – A humble leader is appreciative of the input of others into his or her leadership. So much so, that a humble leader naturally praises the actions of others far more than the time spent patting themselves on the back for personal accomplishments. Humble leaders recognize that all good gifts come from above.

Recognizes Limitations – No one can do everything. A humble has the ability to say, “I can’t do that or I’m not the one who should”.

Shares authority – Humble leaders don’t take all the key assignments for themselves, but gives out prime responsibility and authority to people he or she is leading.

Invites feedback – A humble leader wants to learn from his or her mistakes and wants to continually see improvement. Humble leaders initiate other’s suggestions and feedback, not waiting until complaints come, but personally asking for the input.

Taken from an article on the Catalyst , read more here  http://catalystconference.com/read/10-attributes-of-a-humble-leader/

A Humble Leader Is….

The Conflicting Attributes A Humble Leader Must Deal With

• Confidence
• Codependency

Let’s examine exactly how that works.

First let’s examine what I believe is the number one cause of business owners being unable to move forward:

Confidence – belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance

What is it that keeps us from action when we don’t have confidence? Moving forward in our business is so often thwarted when we simply lack the confidence to move on.

Many people who start a business initially rely on the tutoring of others in order to get things rolling [advice from the previous owner, family and friends].

This kind of action on other people’s advice will not yield the business you have envisioned – your business.

So what has to change in order to build confidence in yourself and your business and begin moving forward again?

You must take control of your own business and develop a realistic business plan.

A business plan? Yep, if your business plan is not one that you can take to the bank and get a loan on it, then it’s not strong enough to move you forward.

The point is, if you have real confidence in your business and yourself you can remain humble, sharing what you know without any agenda, and people will be attracted to you.

What Is Co-dependence And Why Does It Matter?

co-dependent – of or relating to a relationship in which one person is physically or psychologically addicted, as to alcohol or gambling, and the other person is psychologically dependent on the first in an unhealthy way.

Parents are often co-dependent in that they feel like their own self worth is tied to how well their kids do in their own lives. It’s true parents have a responsibility to their children to teach and model right and wrong.

But when kids begin to make their own decisions and they are not what their parents would have them do, then parents must realize they have done their best and refuse to blame themselves for children’s actions.

Now let’s take it into your business world. If you develop your own business plan and stick to it, then you are no longer co-dependent on the views of community leaders, family and friends or any of those who would demean your efforts.

You know what your plan is, you are going to follow your plan, and the good or bad that comes from that will be something you can take personal ownership of.

There are cases where coaching will be helpful in your business. You may need a different perspective in order to move forward. Just be sure you take your advice from someone who has already accomplished what you want to experience yourself, and don’t be afraid to pay for it.

It will be one of the best investments you could ever make.

Some Humble Leader Examples

Humble leaders are not so noticeable due to how they handle themselves, but each of us can probably think of someone in our circle if we try. Modeling them can help us become much better leaders ourselves.

I’d like to share this exert from Jeremie Kubicek’s blog giving 3 great examples of humble leadership:

Here are three leaders who led with true humility.

1. Neil Armstrong
Recently, we lost a true humble American hero when Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died. One of his most praised qualities was his humility.

Even though he had every reason to have an astronomical ego, he went about his job with a quiet strength and confident competency. And he did it all for $8 per diem, in addition to a $17,000-a-year salary. He explored the heavens, but when he returned from his journey to the moon, he kept his feet firmly planted on the Earth.

For the longest time after returning, he denied giving interviews. Finally, Armstrong talked to the author James Clash. When Armstrong died, Clash said of his legacy:

“That’s the kind of man Armstrong was. In a world where everything is about ‘me, me, and me,’ he was a rare throwback to a time when humility and character counted, when people routinely risked their lives not to get rich, bloviate, or self-aggrandize, but for their country, science, and exploration.”

2. Tim Tebow
Say what you will about his talent as a quarterback, but Tebow has reacted to the enormous media pressure placed upon him with poise and humility.

In interviews, reporters have to coax him to talk about himself. He rarely takes credit for successes, but always takes responsibility for failures. He doesn’t talk about himself, but directs attention toward his team.

When an ESPN poll identified him as America’s most popular athlete earlier this year, here was his humble response: “It tells me they have a lot of crazy polls out there. I hope people see I’m real and genuine. I hope they see that I make a ton of mistakes but that I always get back up and try again.”

3. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger
After successfully piloting Flight 1549 to safety in the Hudson River, saving more than 150 passengers in the process, Captain Sully exemplified humility as few could. In an interview after the crash, he was modest about his acts of courage, attributing his poise to his training over the years.

“One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years,” he said. “I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”

Read more: http://jeremiekubicek.com/3-examples-of-everyday-humble-leaders/

Isn’t that exactly what we should be doing in our business? Constantly learning and building our skills, which we can share as we go with our audience, and in time we will be able to cash in due to our diligence.

Humble Leadership Style

In a world of people constantly babbling about this great thing or that fantastic opportunity, we can be the one that simply shares helpful ideas, knowledge, skills and concepts with people who are searching for real answers.

May we learn to be that humble leader who will value the people we touch more than our own selves.