Practice Humbleness
“Leaders mix with people like water in the milk.”
Opening Case Study :
Charlie Chaplin –A Humble Leader to the Core
The reason why Sir Charlie is one of the great leaders is that even after all what he has been through like after the sudden mental illness of his mother she was put in a mental hospital and early death of his father at a very young age he and his brother were sent to the orphanage. Even after allthishe was able to follow his dream of becoming a Comedian. This gives us a lesson that you should not let your past or present get in your way of accomplishing things in your life because the depression is always temporary and happiness lasts forever.
The Legacy of Charlie Chaplin was that he really believed that even in the middle of the GreatDepression of World War II it was important to make everyone laugh and ease the depression that people had of losing all that they owned. Since he had sympathy for social outcasts of the time and conveyed a comedic light to circumstances that normal people confronted in a day by day premise. Laughter appeared to be the main cure during that time in history. In one of his famous quotes he said “A day without laughter is a day wasted” (Charlie Chaplin).
Charlie Chaplin became a king of comedy though he had to undergo great struggles in the initial stages of his career due to acute poverty and lack of parental support. He built up his career independently and charted a new course though he lacked any formal training. His rags to riches story will definitely inspire us to achieve success by overcoming all obstacles.
Chaplin began his acting career at his age of eight and at 18 started to touring with Fred karno’s troupe. Chaplin quoted “I was well aware of the social stigma of our poverty”. His life was really lonely and had to face many struggles. Chaplin began performing in his early years His first appearances in music halls and as clown with a group of people. Chaplin was a clown that with his face and body made a lot of people laugh.He was a master of pantomime-silence was the domain over which he was most assuredly the king.
Chaplin signed with Fred Karno Company which it took him to America and that’s when he developed the character the tramp. His first movie “Little Tramp “his character was a little man with old shoes, baggy pants moustache, cane and the pride he had towards his character was what made him a unique character. The Little tramp made millions of people laugh of joy. Chaplin continued to play with the same character, tramp to many other short films. Later in the silent era it was considered an international character. “The Tramp was Chaplin’s alter ego. He played him for twenty-five years during that time Chaplin never stopped developing the tramp”. His great perseverance as an artist he called himself as the time went by, a unique clown from other clowns.
Charlie Chaplin was not only a comedian but he was also a great philosopher there are many of his quotes which proves that Sir Charlie had qualities of a great leader. Charlie Chaplin was a born leader, with extra-ordinary drive and determination. Insisting on his right to make up his own mind, he demanded freedom of thought and action, and did not let anything or anyone stand in his way once he was committed to his goal.
Research shows the effectiveness of humble leadership: Humble leaders have more influence, they attract better people, and they earn more confidence, respect and loyalty than those who rely upon ego and power.They lead to serve. Humble leaders shift attention away from themselves and focus on the contributions and needs of those around them.They have reserves of inner strength. Being a humble leader isn’t a sign of meekness or powerlessness but of great inner strength.
The best leaders are humble on the outside and confident on the inside.They admit to their mistakes. All leaders are human, which means they all make mistakes from time to time. When you are willing to share your own missteps and mistakes, it allows others to connect to you in a deeper way. Humility is a quality that lets others see your humanity.They seek input from others. The first step of turning to others for input is being vulnerable enough to admit that you need the help and insight of others—which is a sign of great character on its own.
Humble leaders know who they are and behave in a way that’s consistent with that knowledge. They also recognize where there’s room for improvement.They are genuine. Humble leaders know the importance of being authentic. They are the same person in private, in public, and in personal life, in every situation and with every kind of people.
They invite trust& know that trust—earning it, giving it and building it—is the foundation of great leadership.Humble leaders are consistent and disciplined in their treatment of others. They treat everyone with respect regardless of their position, role or title.Humble leaders have the confidence to recognize their own weaknesses. Rather than viewing their limits as a threat or a sign of frailty, they surround themselves with others who have complementary skills.
Here are five ways using which you can be a more humble leader:
1. Recognize your faults.
There are times when we judge other people for the flaws they have, but what good are we getting out of it? Rather, we should introspect and find out what’s wrong with us. Being judgmental would only cause trouble in relationships and we forget we need to improve ourselves as well. One must consider how they can bring change in themselves instead of pinpointing and cribbing about others’ faults.
2. When you are wrong, admit it.
Apologizing for your mistakes won’t make you a less of a person. People might be angry or frustrated over things that you did, but it is better to admit your mistake than to cover it up with a lie. People appreciate if you are willing to admit that you need to improve. It shows how you are not stubborn and not even selfish (even if your insides are burning with anger over the issue). People don’t lose your respect, instead, have it more and are empathetic towards you.
3. While having a conversation, be more considerate.
You better not talk down to anyone while giving your opinion. Many times we all might have seen how people start abusing each other if someone doesn’t agree with their theory but it is absolutely insane! Everyone has their own thinking process and their own likes and dislikes. It doesn’t mean that they have the worst choice or that you should be rude to them. Be considerate enough to not interrupt when someone else gives their point of view and let them finish before you speak up.
4. Appreciate others.
It might be the easiest way to gain a sense of humility. If you see someone doing better than you, or someone being good at something, you must give them a compliment for their work. Understand how they are different from you and try to learn something from everyone who you meet in your life. If you change your mindset and be a bit more open-minded to the ideas of other people, you would be able to appreciate others more than ever.
1. Admit that you might not be the best in everything.
You are talented, we get that! But, keep in mind there is always going to be someone who is better than you, in doing what you are best at. It might be your key talent, but it doesn’t mean you are “best” in the whole world. You need to keep this thought down a notch. Even if you are, supposedly and completely “hypothetically”, there are other tasks you cannot do. You have your limitations and you must acknowledge it, while you learn everything out there in the world.
CONCLUSION:
Humble leaders lead by example. They lead from within. There is always room to be a better person and leader. If you can cultivate humility as a skill, you will be a popular leader and your follower’s favorite.