When you consider the traits of a successful leader, you may focus on qualities such as strategic thinking, bold decision-making, confidence, or inspiring communication. While these attributes are part of the whole, humility is a foundational attribute for great leadership. As I reflect on the dozens of leaders who have had a positive impact on my life and work, humility is a clear common denominator.
Humility doesn’t mean being passive or lacking in confidence. A humble leader is effective because their humility shapes everything they do and keeps them willing to listen and learn. They make decisions for the overall good of their people and organization, not for their own benefit. A humble leader is a good steward of the responsibility that is entrusted to them.
Humble leaders know that they need the engagement of the whole team for effective outcomes. Patrick Lencioni highlights the value of a humble leader on team effectiveness: “Humility is the single greatest and most indispensable attribute of being a team player.” (The Ideal Team Player)
As Christian leaders, we see the affirmation of humility in biblical examples. Practical aspects of humility are infused throughout the Best Christian Workplaces’ FLOURISH model of employee engagement. But the effectiveness of humble leadership extends beyond the faith context. Global research demonstrates that people value humble leadership, and leaders aspire to humility, even if there is a gap between their desire to be humble and the perception of their staff.
In 1 Samuel 16, when God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to identify one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel, the search for the king started with Jesse’s eldest son, Eliab:
Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:6-7)
Finally, the youngest son, David, who was out tending the sheep, was the one God identified as king.
The value of humility is emphasized in James 4:6: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. This idea is repeated in 1 Peter 5:5. Both of these verses are based on the wisdom of Proverbs 3:34: He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
Of course, the ultimate example of humility is Jesus, the eternal Son of God who took on a true human nature to be born into human flesh. Paul beautifully describes how we are to follow Jesus in humility in Philippians 2:3-11:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Humility in leadership is threaded throughout Scripture, as we see that God’s Kingdom is distinct from earthly kingdoms.
In working with Best Christian Workplaces’ Ministry Partners, we see humble leadership every day in those who are willing to listen to survey insights from their employees and act on the feedback to make strides toward a healthy workplace.
Hannah Munn, a Senior Director at Love Justice, reflected on humility as she talked with Al Lopus, Best Christian Workplaces’ co-founder on the Love Justice podcast:
It takes a very humble leader to invite that level of insight into the organization and to act on it. The leadership at Love Justice has been so intentional about listening to what you [Best Christian Workplaces] are saying—the recommendations—and actually doing something about it. You can see the year-by-year comparison in our results. Love Justice is where we are at today because of Best Christian Workplaces.
In the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast, Brad Carr, CEO of SonicAire reflected on the traits they look for in leaders as they have improved their workplace health:
Overall hiring character before talent is really what changed. We do this by assessing a person's character as being in alignment with our core values, which are humble, hungry, people smart, and grateful.
Humility is demonstrated in action when the achievements of the team are more important than any individual contributor. Bible League International has exemplary scores on teamwork, and when Jos Snoep, President and CEO, was asked how they achieved that level of teamwork, he responded:
“Well the people on this team around this table are responsible, so let them tell you.” Then he was silent. In that single, eloquent act, Snoep demonstrated precisely why Bible League International collaborates brilliantly across departments. (From Road to Flourishing, by Al Lopus)
Humble leaders provide meaningful feedback, recognize talent, and build strong teams while fostering an open, compassionate, and trustworthy culture.
Best Christian Workplaces’ Employee Engagement Survey includes explicit and implicit questions relating to the humility of leaders and their contribution to a Flourishing Workplace. Each of the eight FLOURISH Factors includes some aspect of humility, as leaders listen, learn, and engage their staff.
A humble leader enhances Fantastic Teams by modeling what it looks like for people to work well together within and across teams, and to exhibit good conflict resolution skills.
A humble leader gives others the authority to carry out their responsibilities and use their skills, contributing to Life-Giving Work.
A humble leader is focused on recruiting and promoting Outstanding Talent, because the leader knows that it takes a team to fulfill the mission of the organization.
A humble leader thinks about others, intentionally providing opportunities for Uplifting Growth through recognition, development, and growth paths for people at every level of the organization.
A humble leader values people by providing Rewarding Compensation reflected in wages and benefits that reflect fairness and respect for the contribution of their team members.
A humble leader provides Inspirational Leadership through compassion, fairness, integrity, and trustworthiness.
A humble leader develops Sustainable Strategy by working to build clear consensus around organizational goals that will serve long after their season of leadership is completed.
A humble leader seeks and acts on the suggestions of staff, exhibiting Healthy Communication.
As a leader, would those you lead reflect that you are as humble as you would hope?
In a recent Forbes article on humility in leadership, Dr. Franziska Frank, a researcher at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin shared her global research. She noticed a self-awareness gap. In her research with 3,500 managers over the past three years, she saw that more than 95 percent of employees want a humble leader, and more than 97 percent of managers wish to be one. Then she compared the self-assessment of managers with the views of their employees. While 80 percent of managers worldwide see themselves as humble, only 36 percent of employees agree. This gap in perception can create an unhealthy environment.
Dr. Frank suggests four steps to close the gap:
Best Christian Workplaces has the tools you need to solve the self-awareness gap in your leadership.
The research-based Employee Engagement Survey will give you an accurate and actionable assessment of the health of your workplace, including the views of your employees regarding leadership qualities. The results will help you assess the humility of your leadership on an overall basis. You will receive a customized report and guidance in developing an action plan to improve workplace health.
In addition, a Leadership 360 will help individual leaders become more aware of their strengths and areas for growth based on feedback from peers and direct reports. Best Christian Workplaces also has an optional year-long stakeholder-centered coaching process for those wanting to make an extra level of investment in their leadership impact.
Along with these tools, a Best Christian Workplaces consultant will walk with you in your growth as a leader of a Flourishing Workplace. Make 2025 a year of learning and growth, for you and your organization!
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Recently, I was talking with a Ministry Partner who is committed to workplace health but unsure of the value of an annual Employee Engagement Survey.
Cary Humphries