Being humble at work can help you advance in your career, a new study has found.
Climbing the corporate ladder has long been associated with having a dominant, self-serving personality, but humility can also help you progress, according to researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Sussex in the U.K. and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
"Conventional wisdom is that you've got to be Machiavellian and self-promote and bully to rise to the top, but humility is also a catalyst for leadership success," said study co-author David Hekman, an associate professor at the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business, in a press statement.
For the study, the researchers surveyed 610 leaders across 18 industries and 21 job roles who participated in a leader development program.
The leaders' peers reported how humble they were and their behavior was detailed by their subordinates. Their status was reported by their immediate bosses, while their promotability was assessed by their superiors.
The results found that humble leaders were more likely to mentor others, which boosted their status as leaders. In turn, this meant they were more promotable.
Humble leaders were more adept at viewing themselves accurately, admitting mistakes, and recognizing other people's strengths and contributions.
They were also able to "model teachability"—which the study authors describe as engaging in a "public, messy growth process".
Although it may seem risky for leaders to publicly admit mistakes—for example, when vying for a promotion among rivals—it can actually work in their favor. This is because being humble can cultivate a supportive, trusting network. Meanwhile, choosing a path of dominance can be risky.
"A single error can leave you vulnerable to competitors eager to usurp your position. In contrast, adopting humility surrounds you with individuals who respect and support you," Hekman said.
"Mistakes are more readily forgiven, paving a slower yet more resilient path to leadership."
The findings show that leaders don't have to fit The Wolf of Wall Street stereotype to succeed. Instead, mentoring others informally and admitting their own shortcomings can help leaders cultivate status and trust.
"Humility in leadership benefits teams, individuals and entire organizations. People experience more psychological freedom, authenticity, job satisfaction, improved team performance and motivation. And humility spreads, too—it's contagious."
Businesses can encourage humble leadership by rewarding humility in performance reviews, the authors wrote in the study.
Organizations can also promote informal mentoring and offer training programs that emphasize how humility can contribute to career success and organizational growth.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Human Resource Management.
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