2. Humility and power: where leadership often goes wrong

For many leaders, humility becomes difficult the moment power enters the room.

Not abstract power, but the everyday kind: expectations from above, pressure to “step up,” the unspoken message to be decisive and fix things.
Especially for managers who are new in role, humility can suddenly feel risky.

They sense that slowing down or asking questions might be the right move — but they worry it will be read as insecurity. So they do what seems expected. They push, decide faster than feels right, and speak with certainty they don’t fully feel yet.

Not because it’s needed.
But because it feels safer.

When certainty is rewarded, accuracy suffers

Many organisations still mistake control for leadership.
Clear instructions and quick answers look strong, especially under pressure. But in complex situations, speed often replaces judgment.

Humility challenges that. Saying “I don’t have the full picture yet” or “let’s pause before deciding” can feel exposed — particularly when you’re young in role or surrounded by more experienced voices.

And yet, what is expected is not always what the situation needs.

Staying steady without hardening

Humility in leadership is not about stepping back from authority.
It’s about not letting pressure hijack your decisions.

Strong leaders stay grounded when tension rises. They listen without disappearing, decide without pretending to know more than they do, and use their position to create clarity rather than false certainty.

For many young managers, this means resisting the urge to prove you belong by performing confidence.

Doing what’s needed, not just what’s expected

One of the hardest leadership moves is disappointing expectations in service of the work itself.

Sometimes leadership means acting quickly.
Sometimes it means holding back, even when others want you to fix it.

Humility helps leaders tell the difference.

Not by making them softer — but by keeping them accurate, human, and steady under pressure.

Sources (background reading):

• Keltner, Gruenfeld & Anderson (2003) — Psychological Review

• Owens & Hekman (2016) — Academy of Management Journal

• Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky (2009) — The Practice of Adaptive Leadership