Confident Humility: A Way to Lead so Everyone Wins

When we think of the word ‘Humble’ we often think of meek, submissive, unassertive and lowly. Some people see humility as a strength and others view it as a weakness. The word ‘Confident’ usually brings to mind words like self-assured, powerful and worthy. Confidence is nearly always seen as a positive trait in leadership.

I think that many of us would say that to be confident and humble at the same time presents a bit of a conundrum. How do we step into confidence and remain humble enough to sit at the feet of others and glean from them?

Recently a friend of mine told me she didn’t want to appear too self-assured so she often leaned toward being humble so as to not make herself appear too big, confident and above anyone else. In that sense, she made herself more ‘invisible’ in order to avoid standing out and appearing to be too outstanding.

I love the idea of being humble, however not at the cost of being powerful in our own right.

So how can we be both?

How can we stay humble and at the same time remain confident in who we are and what we have to offer the world?

Just like my friend, I have struggled with Confident Humility. Maybe you have too?! In my life, I brought myself down to a lower level so as not to appear as if I was above anyone else. I was afraid they might see me as arrogant and self-centered.

I decided to think deeply about how people could navigate through this interesting conundrum. I hope these 7 traits of both humble and confident people will help you lead well so that everyone wins!

Remain Open to Feedback

Humility involves having an accurate view of ourselves. Humble people allow others to speak into their lives, giving their open, honest opinions.

When we are open to feedback, we give people permission to tell us what they truly think. When we receive that feedback, we can listen to it and choose which parts to leave and which to keep.

The trick is being open to it in the first place, because when we are open we can grow. It involves being proud of our strengths and accomplishments and also knowing and working on our weaknesses.