Three ways to be a better, humbler leader

Egocentric, arrogant leaders can sour an organization's culture and drive valuable employees to underperform or leave. What really attracts and inspires followers isn't a big, self-confident personality but humility.

Here are three steps for becoming a humbler, more effective leader.

1. Be a constant learner. It is almost impossible to be egocentric when you remain fully aware of how much you don't know and aren't afraid to admit it.

2. Watch your pronouns. If you often use first-person pronouns like “I”, “me,” “my,” and “mine” when talking with your staff or others about your team's work, you may come across as claiming too much ownership. Get in the habit of using third-person pronouns such as “we,” “our,” and “us” instead.

3. Look for ways to give credit. Your team will be willing to go the extra mile if they know you will acknowledge their hard work. Giving credit to others, even if you have worked equally hard, motivates employees.

Adapted from "It's Not Hard to Be Humble: The Role of Humility in Leadership."