Ask the average person to name the trait they most value in a leader, and I’d bet humility wouldn’t make the list.
But two of the most important leadership books I’ve ever read—Good to Great by Jim Collins and The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni—both identified humility as the most essential leadership trait. Collins called it the defining characteristic of a “Level 5 Leader.” Lencioni said it’s the first and most critical quality of an ideal team player.
Here’s the problem: while both of these giants in the field of leadership told us humility was essential, they didn’t tell us how to develop it.
That’s where Humbler Leadership by Josh Wymore comes in.
Wymore picks up the conversation where Collins and Lencioni left off. This book doesn’t just argue that humility matters—it shows you how to cultivate it. And it does so with clarity, depth, and a level of practicality that makes it one of the most actionable leadership books I’ve read.
He defines humble leadership through four clear elements:
- Accurate self-perception
- Appreciation of others’ strengths
- Growth mindset
- Greater purpose
Wymore then shows exactly how to develop these traits through ten practical leadership habits. From asking better questions to inviting others into decision-making, co-solving problems, and amplifying your team’s strengths, Humbler Leadership offers a step-by-step roadmap to becoming the kind of leader people want to follow.
My favorite of the ten practices is Be a Multiplier, especially the idea of following your followers. If you want to develop leadership potential in others, you have to give them opportunities to lead. But Wymore adds a crucial step: you also have to follow their lead—even when they do something differently than you would.
That’s just one of the many tangible ways this book helps you become a humbler leader. And that’s exactly why I love it. Wymore makes the case that you don’t have to wait to feel humble before you act humbly. You can start doing the things a humble leader does, and that practice will transform you.
It’s what he calls the Do-Become Flywheel: “As you do the things you need to do, you become the person you want to become.”
I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I believe some of the most dangerous leaders are those with raw leadership potential but without the humility to develop it.
This is the book that finally shows us how to grow in the most important leadership trait of all.
Read it. Reflect on it. And most importantly—do the work.