BURY YOUR PRIDE
Five Ways Effective Leaders Make Humility Work
Full transparency.
It happens at least 25 times per day.
On especially challenging days, it might spike to 100.
That’s how often my insecurity—fueled by pride—flares up.
And do you know how many of those moments produce the right reaction?
Zero.
Not one.
Making a pride-fueled, insecurity-driven decision is a sure-fire way to make the best decision you’ll eventually regret. It feels justified in the moment. It feels protective. But it is almost always misaligned with wisdom, clarity, and long-term leadership effectiveness.
So what should you do when pride starts to poison your self-talk and distort your reactions?
Go outside. Dig a hole. Throw your pride into it. Then cover it with concrete.
And once it’s buried, don’t just walk away—actively pursue humility with everything you’ve got. Because, as Dr. Adam Grant said, “Humility is the antidote to getting stuck on Mt. Stupid.”
Whether you’re trying to descend from Mt. Stupid or digging a permanent grave for your ego, effective leaders understand something critical: humility isn’t passive—it’s a tool. And they know how to make it work for them.
Here are five things effective leaders understand about putting humility to work:
HUMBLE LEADERS KNOW THEIR WEAKNESSES
Most leaders default to the humble-brag when asked about weaknesses:
“I care too much.”
“I work too hard.”
“I’m too detail-oriented.”
That’s not humility—that’s image management.
Rick Warren said, “Humility is not diminishing your strengths; it’s being honest about your weaknesses.”
If you genuinely want to identify your blind spots, invite feedback from the truth-tellers in your circle—the people who care more about your growth than your comfort. Then do the harder thing: listen without defensiveness, justify nothing, and apply what you hear.
HUMBLE LEADERS KNOW THEY DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING
Confucius once said that wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.
You can spot leaders who live this out by how they show up in conversations: they ask more questions than they give answers, and they listen more than they speak.
They’re not performing—they’re learning.
Remember what Larry King said: “Nothing I say will teach me anything. If I’m to learn, I must listen.”
Humble leaders don’t need to be the smartest voice in the room. They’re far more interested in making sure the smartest ideas are heard.
HUMBLE LEADERS KNOW MORE AND MORE
Ironically, the leaders who know the most are often the most aware of how much they still don’t know.
That awareness drives curiosity—and curiosity drives growth.
President Truman famously said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” He understood that leadership and learning are inseparable. President George W. Bush reinforced that idea in his memoirs, noting a year-long reading competition he entered with a staffer. He lost—reading “only” 94 books that year…while serving as the most powerful person in the free world.
That’s not about volume—it’s about posture.
If you are not consistently consuming books, articles, and podcasts, you’re not just falling behind—you may be operating from a place of intellectual pride rather than intellectual humility.
HUMBLE LEADERS KNOW IT’S NOT ABOUT THEM—IT ONLY BEGINS WITH THEM
This is where confidence and humility intersect powerfully. The word for it is meekness—strength under control.
Humble leaders are not passive. They are not doormats. They don’t abdicate responsibility or shrink back from influence.
They lead boldly.
But they also understand this: their role is to position others for success.
They leverage their authority, resources, and platform to elevate their team—not themselves. The team’s success begins with the leader, but it is never about the leader.
As Navy SEAL Brian Hiner said, “When leadership is right, you don’t see it anymore.”
That’s the goal—not visibility, but impact.
HUMBLE LEADERS KNOW THE SUCCESS OF THEIR PEOPLE
In Future Leaders, Jacob Morgan highlights a critical leadership skill for today and the next decade: a genuine willingness to celebrate others.
Not tolerate.
Not acknowledge.
Celebrate.
There’s a reason the analogy endures: a candle loses no light by lighting another candle.
Humble leaders don’t just share credit—they give it away freely and enthusiastically. They take joy in their people’s wins because they understand that leadership is not about accumulating recognition, but about multiplying it.
And in doing so, they build trust, loyalty, and momentum that no ego-driven leader can sustain.
Here’s the bottom line:
Pride demands to be served.
Humility chooses to serve.
Pride isolates.
Humility multiplies.
Pride reacts.
Humility responds with clarity and control.
If you want to lead at a high level—consistently, sustainably, and with lasting impact—then don’t flirt with humility. Don’t visit it occasionally.
Bury your pride. Refuse to dig your ego back up. And work hard at making humility work for you.
Lead on, friends!
About Learning and Leading
Hi, I’m Chris Hobbs, and I write Learning and Leading. It is simply a blog where I share what I’m learning while leading. In the words of CS Lewis, though, ‘My descriptions of my thoughts may make others believe I have been there.’ I’ve spent over 25 years in school leadership, and I’ve been fortunate to earn several degrees and receive recognition in the spheres of educational leadership and athletic coaching. Yet, for everything I get right, there are dozens of areas I’m still figuring out how to get right.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and we’re the proud parents of three incredible young adults. Faith in Jesus Christ is my foundation, yet I am far from perfect. Life is often messy and complicated, but I believe it’s still worth leading with clarity and hope.
You can find me on X or LinkedIn, where I share daily thoughts that (hopefully) inspire and make you laugh.