As leaders and organizations struggle to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage, the challenges that they face inevitably are dependent upon the people with whom they work and assisting those people to become their absolute best. Creating interpersonal relationships and an organizational culture that empowers employees require that leaders model the values that they proclaim to others and that they create organizational systems that support those same values.Enlightened leaders recognize that their primary responsibility is to support those whom they lead and serve. An organization's goals must be focused on creating long-term value for customers. Competing in the modern global environment demands that employees throughout the organization are committed to excellence and are given the resources and opportunity to become their absolute best. Excellence can only be achieved when individuals and organizations go the extra mile as well as when employees are treated as owners and partners in the quest for constant improvement.This book identifies the importance of humility as it contributes to enlightened leadership. Leaders with humility understand who they are, care deeply about others, and are committed to constant learning and improvement. In the pages that follow, the authors identify the contribution that humility makes to enlightened leadership and describe how humility supports key factors essential to successful organizations. Leaders can achieve great things when they discover their highest potential, when they assist others to become their best, and when they constantly seek to improve. Humility unlocks the potential in leaders and in the employees that they serve.

As leaders and organizations struggle to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage, the challenges that they face inevitably are dependent upon the people with whom they work and assisting those people to become their absolute best. Creating interpersonal relationships and an organizational culture that empowers employees require that leaders model the values that they proclaim to others and that they create organizational systems that support those same values.Enlightened leaders recognize that their primary responsibility is to support those whom they lead and serve. An organizations goals must be focused on creating long-term value for customers. Competing in the modern global environment demands that employees throughout the organization are committed to excellence and are given the resources and opportunity to become their absolute best. Excellence can only be achieved when individuals and organizations go the extra mile as well as when employees are treated as owners and partners in the quest for constant improvement.This book identifies the importance of humility as it contributes to enlightened leadership. Leaders with humility understand who they are, care deeply about others, and are committed to constant learning and improvement. In the pages that follow, the authors identify the contribution that humility makes to enlightened leadership and describe how humility supports key factors essential to successful organizations. Leaders can achieve great things when they discover their highest potential, when they assist others to become their best, and when they constantly seek to improve. Humility unlocks the potential in leaders and in the employees that they serve.

The media is saturated with images of leaders as powerful, headstrong individuals, who are certain of their position and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their organizational goals or personal ambitions. In reality, far too often, a leader’s ego gets in the way of sound decision making, adversely affecting the organization and the individuals involved. This insightful book, based on cutting edge research, advances a new model for understanding effective leadership. Nielsen, Marrone and Ferraro advocate the idea of leading with humility, a trait that is rarely discussed and frequently misunderstood. Humble leaders consider their own strengths, weaknesses and motives in making decisions, demonstrating concern for the common good, and exercising their influence for the benefit of all. Leading with Humility offers students and leaders clarity in understanding the connection between leadership and humility, and teaches them how to enhance their own abilities to become better leaders.

To many people, the words 'leader' and 'humble' are not natural bedfellows. Yet once they have grasped the definition most employees desire a humble leader, while a majority of managers believe they already are one. What appears deceptively simple is trickier than expected. Narcissism, lack of perception, fixed mindsets, neuronal default settings are only a few of the stumbling blocks on the path to humility. What exactly is this sought-after humility? Humility consists of four key elements: 1) Seeing one's own strength and weaknesses and revealing them where needed for the bigger picture; 2) Appreciating others for what they are, do now and can do; 3) Being open and willing to learn; 4) Understanding that we are all only a small part of a larger picture, easily replaceable and favored by luck and circumstance. Therefore, humility has nothing to do with being weak or hiding the light under the bushel. Instead, it is about clarity, taking a step back from one's ego and thus being able to serve the greater picture. The author's own research with more than 2,000 managers contributes to the canon of positive effects of humility that have been measured by dozens of researchers during the last decade. Humility benefits employees (ranging from better performance, more innovation, stronger resilience to better client relations and stronger morals), the organization (ranging from better ambidextrous strategies, a better culture to fewer sunk costs) and the managers themselves (ranging from more seen leadership potential to less stress and better relationships with employees). Dozens of case studies, quotes from more than 150 interviews with top managers, lively storytelling of real-life examples, solid research with actionable take-aways plus personal assessments make this an eminently readable and practical book for managers worldwide.

In the last fifty years, there has been a growing interest in the power of polarities as it relates to leadership and business success. Whether referred to as paradoxes, dilemmas or polarities, research shows that leaders and organizations who manage them

“This inspiring book belongs on the desk of every CEO and politician. With eye-opening case studies and recommended behaviors in every chapter, it's an indispensable user guide for servant leaders.” —Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager and coeditor of Servant Leadership in Action On the most fundamental level, leaders must bring divergent groups together and forge a consensus on a path forward. But what makes that possible? Humility—a deep regard for the dignity of others—is the key, says distinguished leadership educator Marilyn Gist. Leadership is a relationship, and humility is the foundation for all healthy relationships. Leader humility can increase engagement and retention. It inspires and motivates. Gist offers a model of leader humility derived from three questions people ask of their leaders: Who are you? Where are we going? Do you see me? She explores each of these questions in depth, as well as the six key qualities of leader humility: a balanced ego, integrity, a compelling vision, ethical strategies, generous inclusion, and a developmental focus. Much of this book is based on Gist's interviews with a dozen distinguished leaders of organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, Costco, REI, Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, and others. And the foreword and a guest chapter are written by Alan Mulally, the legendary leader who brought Ford back from the brink of bankruptcy after the 2008 financial collapse and whose work is an exemplar of leader humility.