Being honest and humble is a winning combination. But pulling both off can be tougher than it seems.
Truth and honesty are always important. And that's all the more clear now that many people's views are extreme and diverse, says Sally Susman, Pfizer's chief corporate affairs officer and author of "Breaking Through." Pfizer found this out while working to develop and roll out a Covid-19 vaccine.
"There was so much disinformation being bandied around," Susman said. "At some point we need to discard disinformation and focus on driving a truth agenda."
When people are honest, others have faith in them and don't have to constantly wonder if they're on the up-and-up.
"Truth breeds trust," said Kate Nasser, New York-based leadership and teamwork consultant and author of "Leading Morale." "It is absolutely critical to long-term success."
Tell The Truth By Admitting Mistakes
A key aspect of honesty is admitting mistakes you've made. Susman periodically has her team do an "open mike night." She encourages teammates to talk openly about times they've messed up.
"The shame becomes removed," she said. "Humor replaces shame and learning replaces feelings of failure."
Early in her career, Susman worked in U.S. Sen. Tom Eagleton's office. She overheard some confidential information and later spilled the beans. A plan halted as a result.
"It impacted my relationship with the Senator and my credibility in the office," she said. "But I never made that mistake again. By sharing mistakes we learn together."
Staying Humble
Humility is a key to getting results. A lot more gets done when people and groups aren't worried about who gets credit for the work.
Pfizer and other big pharmaceutical companies that are fierce competitors decided early in the pandemic they would collaborate and share findings to come up with a Covid vaccine.
Susman was on a panel with someone who claimed credit for the pledge the companies made. Susman knew that person wasn't the first one to come up with the idea.
"The hair on the back of my neck went up," she said. "But I took a deep breath and let it go because I believe there was a longer-term benefit to sharing the spotlight. You can have a deeper impact if you are able to see yourself as in the chorus and not always as the lead singer."
Humility isn't about being meek. It's about continuing to learn. And it gets others to follow you, Nasser says. Think about a leader with a huge ego who's trying to make changes.
"Behind the scenes, the quiet resistance to that ego is going to be there," she said. "That makes the leadership change initiative almost dead on arrival. Humility helps build trust because it helps leaders empathize with employees' struggles."
Humility Leads To Input From Others
Being humble also gets employees involved.
When she launched her leadership consulting business, Nasser worked with a group of tech workers as clients to develop a slogan for a marketing plan. They did a creativity exercise. And the most technical person in the room surprised everyone and came up with the catchiest slogan.
"People were stunned," she said. "They didn't expect it. So if you go in every day thinking, 'What can I learn today from others,' you will develop humility."
Focus on being humble by analyzing your actions and interactions. Use "we" instead of "I." Be honest in answering questions about your performance rather than glossing over problems.
Be intentional about your words and actions to show you're honest and humble, Susman says. She set a goal of improving Pfizer from a company with a lagging reputation. It's since been named one of Fortune's most admired companies.
Enforce the behavior you want from others. Don't let people who aren't truthful or are arrogant slide by simply because they're performing well.
"As soon as you hear yourself make excuses for them, then you won't have that (honesty and humility) as a culture," Nasser said.
