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know everything. Acknowledging humanness and a need for others is a tremendous strength. The line: "I believe humility and ambition are mutually exclusive." The truth: The people who have had the greatest impact on our world have had ambitious goals. However, they are focused on success in the work and not their own accolades. The line: "I believe humility is soft when problems are hard." The truth: The best leaders seek knowledge, input and energy from the most knowledgeable and skilled people in relevant disciplines. Then, they work with them to analyze, synthesize, prioritize and operationalize that input. FALLING FOR YOUR EGO Bill Taylor said it well in Harvard Business Review: "Humility gets results, but ego gets attention." Attention can be a heady perfume. However, it's best to remember that perfume makes you sick if you swallow it. SHANNON SAYS LEADING WITH HONESTY AND HUMILITY BY DR. SHANNON TERRELL GORDON I 've heard it said that leadership isn't about doing things right; that's management. Leadership is about doing the right things. Isn't that a powerful and apt distinction? I also submit that the best leadership is about doing the right things in the right ways. So, we are wise to consider, "What are the right ways?" Research bears out the most effective leaders possess a combination of honesty and humility. Scores of studies show the most impactful leaders consistently demonstrate words and actions that inspire trust; they are honest. Studies also suggest these leaders are humble; they have a modest estimation of themselves. Edgar Schein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor emeritus and expert on leadership and culture, says great leaders practice a specific type of humility. Schein calls it "here and now humility" and defines it as being emotionally willing to openly admit their limits, acknowledge others' superior knowledge or skills for the task at hand and engage them to contribute to outcome success, offering them credit for their contributions. As a result, these leaders' teams feel safe to behave similarly. Therefore, the teams learn more speedily and work together more synergistically and effectively to deliver desired results. If humility gets these results, why are so many "leaders" so arrogant? Arrogance that limits leaders' effectiveness is born from either faulty motives, faulty belief systems or falling for your ego. Let's examine them. THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERS Behave in word and deed to inspire trust. Practice 'here and now' humility. LEADERSHIP LIMITERS FAULTY MOTIVES: 'I want power or control.' FAULTY BELIEFS: 'I think humility is soft when problems are hard.' 'I think acknowledging limits or a need for others is worse than failure.' FALLING FOR THE HYPE: 'My ego needs attention for myself more than results.' Dr. Shannon Terrell Gordon leads Macon's River Edge Behavioral Health and River Edge Foundation. Shannon is a researcher, author, speaker and teacher to help each person live his or her best life and to help leaders make the most meaningful impact possible. Follow her on Instagram with #drshannonsays. Contact her at sgordon@river-edge.org. FAULTY MOTIVES Schein reported once asking a group of his new students what it means to lead. They responded, "It means I can tell others what to do." I once asked an elected official his motive for running for office. Without hesitation, he responded, "power." At least he was honest! Desire for power and to get others to do what you want are, however, faulty leadership motives. The best motives are to accomplish greater good than you can accomplish independently, and to make others great. FAULTY BELIEF SYSTEMS Let's break down the truth about faulty beliefs that can plague leaders. The line: "I'd rather fail than admit limitation, admit that I don't know, that I need help or that I am dependent on someone else." The truth: No one can possibly 60 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021