Humility in Reaction

I tune out other's reactions during the weekend news cycle. The news is not new on the weekend and is replaced with a flurry of judgment on the past week and worrying about the future, highlighting and multiplying the complexity of problems facing our culture and our organizations. The separation between the work week and the weekend affects more than the news cycle. An organizational leader’s weekend can be the toughest days of the week—all the complex problems and issues and no ability to react. As the new week begins, independent of circumstance, leaders seeking the flourishing of others need to react with humility.

Flourishing is simply seeking another’s best. The literature on flourishing spans psychology, sociology, and theology, revealing three key factors for flourishing: identity, belonging, and purpose. Flourishing is helping others grow into their true selves, helping others connect in a beneficial community, and helping others develop and pursue their purpose in life. Yet, when crises occur and we face complex problems, it can be difficult to react in a manner focusing on the flourishing of those we lead.

The opposite of reacting with humility is reacting with arrogance. Foundationally, arrogance is pride. Arrogance seeks what is best for me, not what is best for others. When organizations have a leader-centric culture, arrogance often triumphs over humility. In a leader-centric culture, leaders assume that when they win, everyone wins. In contrast, a flourishing culture assumes that when everyone wins, the leader also wins.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3-4, NLT).

Reacting with humility is not a new idea. In chapter two of Philippians, Paul encourages everyone to react with humility—no matter the circumstances. While helping others flourish through our leadership is popular today, it reflects ancient wisdom. When leaders react with arrogance, it produces anxiety, uncertainty, and discord. However, when leaders react with humility, it can produce stability, patience, trust, and commitment. The culture and our organizations will continue to confront us with problems and issues of growing complexity. How we, as leaders, respond matters more now than ever before.

When was the last time you responded to a circumstance (organizational or personal) with arrogance rather than humility? What was the outcome?

How might choosing to respond in humility improve the lives of those you lead?