Humble leadership enhances development of ambitious employees: Study reveals how

New research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) has found that humble leadership not only elevates the workplace status of employees—by boosting their sense of respect and prominence—but also strengthens their leadership potential.

Contrary to the widespread belief that humble leaders instil humility in their employees, Dr. Xiao Lin's study reveals a different outcome. "Employees who focus on individual development, success, and competition respond best to humble leadership behaviours," Lin explains. "These are people who feel the need to be at the top, stand out, and be excellent employees so they have the chance to influence their leaders and become high-status team members."

This means that employees who are driven by personal growth and achievement are more likely to develop their leadership potential under humble leaders. On the other hand, those who do not have an individualistic orientation may not take the same approach. "They are more likely to be humble or they may have no interest in influencing the leaders or they feel happy keeping their current status as a follower," Lin told HRD Australia.

Humble leaders possess three key characteristics that distinguish them from other types of leaders. First, they have an ability to see themselves accurately, demonstrating strong self-awareness. They understand their strengths and weaknesses and are open about them.

Second, humble leaders acknowledge other people’s contributions or strengths, a trait Lin describes as "openness." They value and recognize the input of their team members, which fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment.

The third characteristic is teachability. Humble leaders are eager to learn from others and are open to being taught. "The most important difference for humble leaders and other kinds of leaders is teachability," Lin said. "Because humble leaders seek more opportunities to develop themselves by learning from others, so they will give other employees lots of opportunities to teach them."

Lin suggests that employers can benefit from recruiting employees who thrive under humble leadership. "Employers or human resource managers can try to recruit people who have an individualistic orientation," she said. These individuals can be identified based on their values, focus on personal development, ambition, and competitive nature.

By hiring such employees, companies can cultivate a talent pool of future managers and leaders. "They will become informal leaders and you can build a talent pool for future managers. When your current manager retires or they go to another position, you can easily pick up more potential managers or leaders from the team," Lin explained.

Lin emphasizes that humble leadership is a behaviour, not an inherent personality trait, and can therefore be learned. Developing humble leadership means cultivating self-awareness, openness, and teachability. "Only after you know your strengths and your weaknesses can you see other people's strengths," she said. Managers should learn to acknowledge and appreciate their team's contributions, fostering an environment of mutual respect and continuous learning.

Lin hopes that managers and employers will pay more attention to humble leadership behaviors. "Most industries do not care much about humility because some people think it is a weakness," she said. "But instead, humility is a personal charisma. When you show other people your weakness, it's like building a very inclusive and fair communication environment."

Humble leadership is particularly relevant in today's dynamic work environment. With the rapid development of AI and the internet, leaders cannot be expected to have all the answers. They must rely on their employees' expertise and knowledge. "In this current environment, leaders cannot be a superhero. They must rely on a lot of employees’ expertise," Lin noted.

Humble leadership behaviours encourage collective growth and motivate employees to reach their full potential. It creates a supportive atmosphere where team members feel valued and empowered to contribute their best ideas and efforts.

While Lin acknowledges the benefits of humble leadership, she also notes that it should not be the only leadership style employed. "You will not use the same leadership behaviour all your life," she said. "It's not a fixed leadership behaviour. Even humility behaviours are based on the situation. You use these behaviours based on the requirements, maybe this month or this year or this project. It doesn't mean you must be humble until you die."

Leadership styles should be dynamic and adaptable, combining various approaches to suit different situations and challenges. By integrating humble leadership behaviors with other leadership styles, leaders can create a well-rounded leadership profile that adapts to the evolving needs of their team and organization.