Quiet Leaders Build Lasting Companies
“The US’s mood was at its most humble when its actual achievements were at their most extraordinary.” -David Brooks
Humility is not about being a martyr or abandoning one’s own interests, desires, and suppressing competitive drive. It’s not about shunning success, money, acclaim, and all the other good things that we work so hard to attain. Humility is, simply put, a state of mind that helps us achieve more, stay relevant, and keep that competitive edge razor sharp. If you want longevity, seek humility. Look at Warren Buffet or Cal Ripken Jr., two men of quiet confidence who have both outperformed and outlasted their colleagues. To be humble is to focus on action, not words; on results, not promises.
Being humble makes you a better businessperson. A study at Baylor University found that humility and honesty not only correspond with job performance, but it predicted job performance above and beyond any of the other five personality traits like agreeableness and conscientiousness. When you are humble you are more willing to listen to the ideas of others and more thorough when questioning your own. Intellectual curiosity is an active response to humility. Humility begets flexibility, enables you to back out of bad decisions before too much damage has been occurs, and helps you see the world as it is rather than as you want it to be.
So often in life, things that function best often go unnoticed. And so it goes with leadership. Just as great athletes and musicians make their feats of skill look effortless, true leaders make themselves inconspicuous, and their tremendous efforts and intricate plans seem inevitable. In the words of the Taoist sage Lao Tzu: “The great leader speaks little. He works without self-interest and leaves no trace. When all is finished, the people say: ‘we did it ourselves.’”
These are the kinds of people we invest in here at Collaborative Fund. A perfect example of quiet leadership is Tim Hyer from Rentcycle. I was reminded of this at Wednesday’s board meeting where he went over his company’s recent achievements and future goals. Despite the amazing progress Tim and his team have made over the past few months, they haven’t popped the Cristal just yet. Instead, Tim pushes ahead toward the next milestone with his head down, focused, humble, and driven. -Craig.
Text by Dan Zuckerman, Photo by skenmi
