Great leaders stay humble

Gene Mage

Author Kenneth E. Boulding writes, “Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure.” In the past three years the business world has validated this assertion most graphically.

While success is not all it is cracked up to be, it sure beats the alternative. But if we are not careful, it can undermine our effectiveness as leaders just as surely as costly blunders.

Far too often, we as leaders ascribe our past successes to innate talent, business acumen, and exceptional judgment. Yet we tend to blame “market forces” when things go wrong. I see three traps that success lays in our path:

Hubris. Success deludes us into thinking we have solved the riddle of the marketplace. Positive results are an intoxicating elixir that clouds clear thinking. Looking through that distorted lens we begin to believe we have “arrived” and have nothing more to learn; from today forward we assume our place among the elders to pontificate to others. After a while, we might even start to believe that we are exempt from the rules that govern mere mortals.
Complacency. Having found a comfortable plateau we no longer work with the same drive and energy to excel. Rather than continually trying to beat yesterday, we cling to it tenaciously. Rather than playing to win, we play not to lose. When the changing marketplace demands that we take appropriate risk, we become slow to respond by taking appropriate risks. By the time we wake up to the new reality it is often too late to do anything but start over from scratch.
Distraction. When our attention becomes so dominated by one industry, or one customer, we can easily stagnate. Since we’re making the numbers, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? So we stop innovating, investing in new products, or exploring new markets. Failing to look ahead, we get blindsided by events.

How can we avoid these traps? Staying humble is both a choice and an act of courage. Here are some suggestions for avoiding the dark side of success.

Remember where you came from. Most of us have traveled a winding path through difficult times and good times. We learned from kind coaches and mentors who cared enough to help us learn to do better.
Cultivate wise counsel. No matter how high you rise in the hierarchy, remain accountable to others. Make sure that you always have a “governing authority” in your life above yourself.
Keep learning. The only real competitive advantage left in the world is the ability to learn, adapt, and respond to a changing world. We never stop becoming until they pull the sheet over our faces. Defining moments in your life may still lay ahead of you. The character you develop today will make all the difference in whether you will pass those tests.
Never stop trying to excel. Keep your foot on the gas even when you think you have a commanding lead. The world needs your next idea, next accomplishment, and next contribution.
Keep results in perspective. While you should celebrate success in the marketplace, remember that those results came from the work and decision of many people, not just you. While you should applaud your good choices, remember that your co-workers, customers and competitors also made choices which impacted your results.

For many years I bought into the “success” mindset that who we are and where we are result from the cumulative effect of our life choices to date. While I still believe that our individual choices have the most profound effect upon our destiny, I am more and more convinced that others’ choices impact our destiny as well. When success happens, let’s enjoy it, but remember with deep appreciation everyone else who had a part in those results.

This column is the sixth in the series “Elephants in the office.” Visit www.makingitwork.com if you would like to catch up on the whole series.

Syndicated columnist Gene C. Mage is author of the book Managing for High Performance. To contact Gene, visit www.makingitwork.com.

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