Humility at work: the quiet power that can drive cultural change
When people hear the word humility, they often think of meekness, shyness or the need to downplay their vision or success.
In our opinion, in the workplace, humility is not about shrinking our ideas or ourselves. It is a deliberate practice, a skill that signals you are ready to learn, to collaborate and to lead without letting ego block progress. And that is big!
Practised well, humility becomes the hallmark of a growth mindset and a key ingredient in shifting organisational culture for the better.
Those, who believe this say: ‘I know what I know and I am willing to learn what I don’t.’
Why humility is a skill, not a weakness
In a societal culture where confidence and assertiveness often get mistaken for competence, humility is the counterbalance that keeps leaders and teams open, agile and innovative.
It allows us to:
▪️ Accept feedback without defensiveness
▪️ Acknowledge mistakes and use them as learning tools
▪️ Seek out and value perspectives different from our own
Humility creates the psychological safety that helps teams speak up, challenge ideas and stretch their thinking. And that is where positive inclusive high performance culture shifts begin.
Quiet humility vs. loud humility
Humility shows up in 2 different ways and both have value.
Quiet humility is grounded, observant and deeply listening before acting. It is the leader who asks questions before giving direction, who acknowledges contributions without needing to be in the spotlight.
Loud humility is open, vocal and transparent about not having all the answers. It is the manager who says in a meeting, ‘I got this wrong, let’s fix it together’ or the colleague who celebrates a team member’s idea more than their own, because they understand that celebrating others doesn’t take anything away from them.
Both versions build trust. Both invite collaboration. The key is knowing when each is needed.
Practising humility as an agent of change
To make humility a daily leadership habit:
Check your ego at the door: ‘Ask yourself: Am I seeking to be right or to get it right?’
Flip the spotlight: Share credit often, visibly and specifically.
Own your learning curve: Model being a work-in-progress.
Invite challenge: Create space for people to disagree with you without risk.
Humility is not a soft skill, it is a strong skill. It strengthens relationships, accelerates problem-solving and fuels the kind of cultural change that sticks because it’s built on respect, inclusion and trust.
Final thoughts
In a workplace that rewards self-promotion, humility might feel like swimming against the tide. Yet, it’s also what makes people want to follow you to deliver greatness and excellence rather than arrogance.
Practise it quietly or loudly and you will not only grow as a professional, you will help your whole organisation grow with you.
If you want to embed humility into your leadership culture , in a way that fuels collaboration, resilience, and high performance, let’s chat.
Through our executive coaching and inclusive leadership programmes, we help leaders practise the skills that shift culture from the inside out.
✔️ Fill in this form and Vanessa will be in touch to explore how we can make it real in your organisation.
