We’ve all come across someone like this before: the cream of the crop, the baron who gets promoted to manager out of nowhere. He excels at his job and is in need of a change. To avoid losing his best employee, the employer gives him what he wants. The baron becomes a temperamental manager; a domineering tin-pot dictator with no empathy for his subordinates and no respect for his peers. He faces abundant criticism: “his head is too big to fit thought the doorway nowadays”. From that moment on, he goes from one blunder to the next, under the appalled gaze of his colleagues.
The stereotypical example often occurs when a promotion within the company is seen as a reward, to be boasted about at every opportunity.
However, going from being an employee to being a “manager” isn’t something to be taken lightly and needs to coincide with a real company need. What value will this person’s nomination provide the company with tomorrow?
The fact that the promoted employee now finds himself managing a team without any prior training is enough to make your head spin. Over-investing a new status is often a sign of a serious lack of confidence. And who is to blame? The newly promoted employee, or his managers, who haven’t prepared, supported or guided him properly? To ask this question is to answer it.
No leader worthy of their salt could purport to lead a team to success while being arrogant and disdainful towards others. The consequences can be devastating in the long run: loss of talents, damaged reputation, etc. Based on this evidence, companies must create an environment in which the company culture guarantees a feeling of trust that encourages the manager to be oriented towards others and display a more authentic attitude, enabling honest and humble communication.
Modesty: a cure for bad leadership?
Modesty is a relatively new topic in the context of leadership. A modest leader inspires collaboration and elicits respect from their team. They also create work environments with a higher level of satisfaction and productivity. A manager who knows how to use these assets in an honest way will earn acceptance from the group. They will also inject creativity, self-initiative, motivation and sometimes even boldness into the team. A healthy base, where errors are perceived as learning opportunities and not grounds for punishment… In short, a leader who embodies modesty will have a far stronger impact on his team and his business. Modesty, constantly sought after and carefully refined over time, is a powerful force on the journey to reaching, but most of all maintaining, success.
Honestly, who wants to work for a heartless dictator? Humble managers display a certain amount of vulnerability, which makes them more approachable. These types of leaders are willing to listen to differing opinions and are open to different points of view. Modesty and emotional intelligence often go hand in hand.
The good news is that even the most arrogant leaders can increase their efficiency by being a little more modest. Let’s talk about it!
