6 humble leadership traits that will get attention

Most of your team isn't enthusiastic about attending departmental meetings, but they do want to meet with you one-on-one, and ideally, you should meet weekly to keep them engaged, get feedback and help them develop their skills, writes executive coach Marcel Schwantes, drawing on advice from organizational psychologist Steven Rogelberg. "The status update trap is when 1:1s take on a highly tactical, short-term orientation focusing on project updates and timelines ... that is something that can be an email," Schwantes notes.

Put it into practice: Regular one-on-one meetings can cut down on the number of random questions from your direct reports and can help you stay in the know and inspire your team, Schwantes writes. "And finally, as your investments in each team member lead to their growth, this contributes to team success, which is a reflection of you as a leader."

Humble leaders, characterized by self-awareness, a commitment to learning and recognition of others' contributions, enhance workplace well-being and employee confidence, writes Alaina Love, the CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting. "Best of all, when teams view leaders as authentic and approachable, they're far more likely to step forward with ideas, as well as share concerns about what might not be going well so issues can be addressed in a timely manner," Love writes.

Put it into practice: Humble leaders are curious and want to keep learning, so they are open to criticism and welcome others' points of view or solutions, Love notes. "Most importantly, in the face of new evidence, they are willing to reconsider their opinion."

With the rapid news cycle and constant access to information, leaders must acknowledge that external social and cultural issues impact their employees and emphasize the importance of mutual respect and staying focused on the "the shared mission and values of the business," says Karen Testa, director of global communications for Bell Flight. "Even though a company may not be directly involved in an external issue or its outcome, good leaders acknowledge current events and work closely with their communications teams, who can serve as a barometer of employee sentiment and human vulnerability," Testa adds.

Put it into practice: Before making a public statement on issues of the day, carefully judge your stakeholder's feelings on the issues and if they are divided, it may be best to remain silent, only speaking out if views are unified, Testa advises. "Remind leaders to think before they speak -- we have all seen how insensitive words from a leader have the power to permanently damage their company's reputation," says Testa.

Switching from a product-centric to a people-centric approach and prioritizing employee relationships transformed the leadership style of Conga CEO Noel Goggin. "I learned that I needed to be having conversations with people more often. In the early days as a founder, I'd make a decision and people would be surprised by it, and that just wasn't going to fly if growth was the goal," Goggin says.

The Lewes Railway Land Wildlife Trust in England recently relaxed a prohibition on dogs off-leash in an effort to restore native wildflowers and grasses. Owners were invited to let their dogs run loose while wearing seed-filled backpacks, and plants are starting to crop up in previously degraded habitats.

If self-awareness is one of the hallmarks of a humble leader, then a boss I had at a university public relations job was the least self-aware and humble boss on the planet. For example, a few months after one of my co-workers lost their spouse, they were -- understandably to any self-aware person -- still grieving and often cried during the work day. We would all console her or at least give her the space she needed. Not this boss. On one of her bad days, our co-worker was crying in the breakroom, and the boss happened to walk in. Instead of offering condolences or a compassionate ear, she sighed heavily and said, "Aren't you over this yet?"

Her insensitivity was nothing new to any of us. She had been rude and inconsiderate to all of us at some point or another, but this one took the cake. Our co-worker was devastated, in a new way, by this insensitive comment, and she, like many of the rest of us, found our way into new jobs far away from this boss in short order.

As Alaina Love points out, humble leaders create a culture where everyone feels valued, and perhaps more importantly, safe to express themselves, maybe especially in times of grief or loss. This boss missed the mark on nearly all of Love's characteristics of a humble leader. She was not open to criticism or changing her mind, even if she had been proven wrong. She didn't recognize the strength and skill of her team, often undermining us and discounting the work we did. As a result, none of us trusted her, let alone liked her.

This is a recipe for disaster because good, talented people will not endure this treatment for long. They have the talent it takes to get hired elsewhere, preferably in a place with a humble leader who will appreciate what they bring to the table and create a safe and nurturing place for them to do so.

As Love writes: "While someone with a commanding personality and assertive behavior may get your attention, the benefits of building an organization with humble leaders are far superior in impact."

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