Humility is Strong Leadership

Photo by Jaspinder Singh on Unsplash

Humility is an essential aspect of being a strong leader. Louise Penny creates the ultimate example of a leader who expresses humility in her Three Pines series, Inspector Gamache. Recently, I have been thoroughly enjoying the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. Gamache is often described as positioning himself as a mentor to young folks in his field and teaching them how to be leaders. He is noted for teaching his mentees to say the following at crucial moments in their careers.

I don’t know.

I need help.

I’m sorry.

I was wrong.

-Inspector Armand Gamache

I don’t know.

In my leadership journey, it took me a long time to realize that saying, “I don’t know.” showed great strength. People actually appreciated my honesty in admitting I needed time and space to consult and research before getting back to them. As an educator, I used to draw a small circle on the board to indicate ‘what I know’ and then a much larger circle around it to indicate ’what I don’t know’. The students were always surprised. This was a good way to illustrate that we all have so much to learn to stay curious and that we can learn form each other.

I need help.

This was a tough one too. I thought asking for help showed that I did not know! Instead, asking for help invited others into the conversation and I learned about their expertise. The result was better with multiple voices and ideas.

I’m sorry.

This one came easier for me, most of the time, but not always. Admitting I am wrong was easier at work than at home with my family! I am a bit more invested and attached to being right at home it seems. Something to still work on.

I was wrong.

If you can admit when you are wrong to your colleagues and your team, this can be a huge place of vulnerability. It can also feel very risky. You don’t have to sit in the mistake. Acknowledge and move forward. Reflect and learn from it. What will you do differently? What did you learn? Share that as well.

A Few Last Thoughts

To some, these phrases could be seen as words expressing weakness. These are phrases that show vulnerability and some might perceive that as weakness. I believe, as Brené Brown tells us, that vulnerability as a leader shows strength. According to Dr. Brown, expressing vulnerability is a sign of strong leadership and she defines it as taking a risk when there is possibility of ‘uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure’. Inspector Gamache often enters risky territory,  exposes his emotions, and makes mistakes and admits it. This shows his team that he is brave enough to learn from his mistakes. That’s how we all learn. We practice, reflect, and improve. 

Inspector Armand Gamache has many qualities of a strong leader. His humility and vulnerability stand out to me. I am practicing each day to be the type of leader I want to be. That’s what it takes. Practice. Reflect. Improve.