Be “Confidently Humble”
The ‘fake it till you make it’ aphorism is an endemic condition in consulting. In any given year a consultant could work across a wide variety of clients, projects and multiple industries. As I work with newer consultants, it’s important to be comfortable with this from the get-go. The truth is, you don’t know the industry… yet. Most clients get that, and appreciate that you’ll be getting smarter fast. So the sooner you are open to expressing what you know and what you don’t, the better.
Being "confidently humble" is about striking the balance between acknowledging your strengths and abilities while also recognizing your limitations and being open to learning from others.
As a leader, here's why this is so important for both you and the teams you serve:
Trust in Leadership: Just because you’re the leader doesn’t mean you have all the answers. You don’t. Of course you don’t. Good leaders exude this confident humility to be more effective. It shows we’re human, and that we don’t have all the answers. When you model this, it shows your team they don’t need to prove something to you, and view you as someone more approachable and open to feedback and collaboration.
Building Relationships: Have you ever worked with anyone, leader or colleague, that seems to always sound like they “know it all?” Maybe gets a bit defensive if they’re asked something they might not know that well. These people tend to do a much better job of promoting/defending their own abilities than they do lifting the potential of others. Like most people, I’m generally more drawn to leaders who are humble yet confident. Who doesn’t want to work with people like that?
Adaptability and Resilience: In bad times, humility can be especially vital in more turbulent environments. When as a leader you are open to sharing the same anxieties/concerns about a direction (or the lack of one), it contributes to an overall team resilience. When faced with challenges or setbacks, this acknowledged humility collectively shows we’re a team that is less likely to be overly discouraged or defensive when things aren’t goin well.