In order to be a leader, it is important to make an impact on those you meet. Being modest is the key to going far in professional life, says Dr Vikram A Munshi
Is there a dress code for leadership? If yes, what comes to your mind? Is it a sharp unisex business suit, or smart casuals with an open shirt, a sari or even an ensemble of jeans and a black turtleneck? Those are the external packaging of a human body, which makes the body presentable and acceptable in its environment. What we are talking about is the packaging of leadership that makes it presentable and acceptable.
As a consultant and a coach, I meet people at various roles and responsibilities. Meeting CXOs, vice-presidents, junior managers, business heads, peons, executive assistants, I try to connect behavioural traits seen in leaders in people who are aspiring to be leaders. Based on these observations and interactions over the past 25 years, the dress code of leadership is — humility.
Let us not confuse humility with servility. The context of humility here is a lack of vanity. Why should humility (lack of vanity) be the dress code of leadership and not other adjectives like integrity and competence?
Vanity is agnostic to social strata, hierarchy, education and even organization type. In my opinion, vanity comes when we achieve something more than what we imagined we ever could. Whether it's the newly promoted bank clerk or even the young Turk VP of a private company, both may be ‘undressed’ for leadership.
Humility arises from a self-perspective of not only what has one achieved but also the realisation that one’s potential is greater than the achievement to date. This is a very critical point and at first go, it may even seem paradoxical to the concept of humility but it is this point that makes humility in leaders such a driving force.
A leader who exhibits humility indicates that he or she has set high goals for one and is not going to rest until they are achieved. This growth mindset will make the leader see her team as a catalyst or partners in the growth story. As a consequence, both the team and therefore the leader will grow.
A leader or a person, who is vain, is not good news for the team or the organisation. There are two impacts of vanity on leadership. Vanity is one of the biggest barriers to learning. Vanity is the manifestation of complacency and complacency is the precursor to stagnancy and decay, not only for self but also for the entire team.
Second, we all know that a leader should be a good listener. But more often than not you can observe that an ‘undressed’ leader is a poor listener. Unfortunately, in the era of soaring aspirations, in most places, humility takes a back seat to vanity and ego.
An ‘undressed leaders are easy to spot. Just watch them how they behave with people less fortunate or powerful than them; like the security guard in their office, the parking attendant, and the waiter at the restaurant. Even in a social gathering, you will see these ‘undressed’ leaders’ having a know-all attitude.
At this point, it is also worth mentioning, that both vanity and humility are independent of the official designation of the person or any other common measures of leadership that we use. The desire to learn and the behaviour with people less fortunate or powerful become two powerful indicators of humility or vanity.
Humility that stems from high standards and goals set for one and backed with self- awareness of progress made to date and the journey remaining is a powerful driving force of transformation in individuals, teams, and organisations.
In today’s competitive and dynamic world where Gen Z believes in taking the plunges quickly, it is imperative to ensure that your wardrobe contains humility — the dress code for leadership for a successful long run.
