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principles for developing humility as a leader

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They say that leadership is a gift and not everyone is made to lead. There are many characteristics that make a good and effective leader. Effective leaders should have confidence, determination, strength of character and courage. Traits like being decisive and being a good problem solver are also essential. But one very important characteristic of a leader that makes them earn respect and loyalty from their followers is h
umility.
When people are given authority over others, there is a temptation or the tendency to abuse their power over others. Abusive and over-bearing leaders may be capable of making people follow them out of fear. But many employees or followers leave their companies because of arrogant and rude bosses.
Humble leaders get the work done and also gain the respect and love of their followers. This kind of leadership gains loyalty and results in long term harmonious working relationships. Because of this it is essential that every leader knows the value of humility and do their best to keep it in mind.
Here are six principles for developing humility as a leader.

1. Learn To Listen

Before losing your temper when things go wrong, take a deep breath and try to listen to both sides of the story which led to the situation. Being angry and scolding your employees or followers will not result to anything positive. Investigate on what led to that problem and then focus on the solution. This saves you more time and provide you with less stress.

2. Solicit suggestions

A good leader is not a dictator. It is okay to express your ideas. But remember the saying, two heads are better than one. Everything can be much faster and so much better if you solicit suggestions from those under you. Who knows? Someone in your team may just have a great idea that will make everything so much easier for everyone. Doing this gives your followers A feeling of importance and being an essential part of a team.

3. Ask Questions

No leader is ever perfect. Remind yourself that you are not infallible. There are things that you do not know. Do not be ashamed to ask questions even from your followers. Doing this will make them respect you more since you show them that you are not afraid to show your weaknesses.

4. Do not Absorb Praise

As a leader you will receive a lot of praise from those under you Appreciation and compliments can make you feel good about yourself. Stay humble by simply thanking people for their kind words. But each time you receive a compliment or praise do not absorb it or dwell too much in it because all these may go to your head and you may lose interest in improving yourself as a leader.

5. Keep Learning

A good leader knows that he or she should be better than his or her old self. Even if you receive a lot of compliments or praise, you should know that there is still a lot to learn. Always work hard on improving yourself. Keep learning new things and bring yourself to new experiences. This will allow you to realize that learning never stops. And that you can always better ourselves if we choose it.

6. More “We” Less “Me”

When speaking to your followers, try addressing your activities with the word “we” instead of “me.” Some people tend to speak too much of themselves and their listeners lose interest in what they had to say. But if you use the word we when explaining each task, your followers will be more interested since they are included in the instruction. They will not see you as someone above them, but instead they will see you as a leader Who works with them.
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