Who are the best leaders you have ever worked for?
Were they the ones who sucked all the oxygen out of the room?
The ones who needed to be the smartest person in every meeting?
The ones who took credit for the wins and blamed the team for the losses?
No.
The leaders you would follow into battle were likely the ones who didn't need to prove they were in charge. They were secure enough to listen. They were strong enough to admit mistakes. They were confident enough to let others shine.
They were Humble.
In the Superhuman Framework, Humility is not about being a doormat. It is about “Strength Under Control.”
It is the quiet confidence that comes from knowing who you are, so you don't have to spend your energy protecting your ego.
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6
Read that again. God doesn't just dislike the proud. He opposes them.
If you are leading with pride, you have God as an opponent. That is a losing strategy.
Humility vs. Insecurity (The Critical Distinction)
Most leaders reject “Humility” because they confuse it with Insecurity.
They think being humble means saying, “Oh, I'm not that good,” or “I don't know what I'm doing.”
That isn't humility. That's fear.
C.S. Lewis nailed it: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
| Insecurity (Weakness) | True Humility (Strength) |
|---|---|
| Focus: Self-protection | Focus: Mission-advancement |
| Action: Deflects compliments (“I got lucky”) | Action: Accepts compliments (“Thank you”) & passes credit (“The team killed it”) |
| Fear: “I hope they don't find out I'm a fraud.” | Fear: “I hope we don't miss the mission.” |
| Result: The leader shrinks | Result: The leader empowers |
The Superhuman Leader is Confidently Humble.
They walk into the room knowing they are called, equipped, and dangerous—so they don't need to brag about it.
The Jesus Model
If you want to see what this looks like, look at the Upper Room (John 13).
Jesus—the literal King of the Universe—stripped off his robe and washed the dirty feet of his friends.
He didn't do this because he had low self-esteem.
He did it because he knew exactly who he was.
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal... and began to wash his disciples' feet.”
John 13:3-5
Did you catch that?
Because He knew He had all power... He served.
Insecurity
Grabs for power.
Security
Gives it away.
Check Yourself
Do you feel 'too important' to do the small tasks?
3 Marks of a Humble Leader
How do you know if you are walking in Humility?
Teachability
The Humble Leader assumes they can learn from anyone—the intern, the customer, even the competitor.
The Arrogant Leader already knows the answer.
Ownership
When things go wrong, the Humble Leader looks in the mirror. (“I missed that.”)
When things go right, the Humble Leader looks out the window. (“They did great.”)
The Arrogant Leader reverses this.
Listening
The Humble Leader asks questions they don't know the answer to. They are genuinely curious.
The Arrogant Leader listens only to reload their argument.
Check Yourself
When was the last time you publicly admitted you were wrong?
The Pride Trap
Success is dangerous. The more you win, the harder Humility becomes.
People start telling you how great you are. You start believing your own press. You stop asking for feedback because you think you have the Midas touch.
This is usually the moment right before the fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
The Antidote
You cannot humble yourself once. You must humble yourself daily.
This is why the Vertical Love (Cornerstone 1) is so vital. Prayer is the act of reminding yourself: “I am not God.”
Start with prayer.
Seek honest feedback.
Celebrate others' wins.
Continue Your Journey
Frequently Asked Questions
Research consistently shows the opposite. Humble leaders are perceived as more competent, not less. Why? Because humility signals security. When you can admit what you do not know, people trust what you say you do know. When you share credit, people want to follow you. When you own your mistakes, people respect your integrity. Insecure leaders project strength; secure leaders embody it. True humility is the mark of a leader who does not need to prove anything.
Humility is not pretending you do not have expertise—it is holding that expertise loosely. You can be confident in your knowledge while remaining open to being wrong. You can lead from your experience while staying curious about what others see that you might miss. Remember: every person knows something you do not. Every situation has dimensions you cannot see alone. Your experience is valuable, but it is not exhaustive. The humble expert says, "Here is what I know, and here is what I am still learning."
Humility does not mean being passive or self-deprecating. You can advocate strongly for your ideas while holding them with open hands. The key is to argue for the idea, not for yourself. Present your perspective with conviction while genuinely listening to alternatives. Be willing to have your mind changed by better arguments. Humble advocacy says, "I believe strongly in this approach, and I want to hear what I might be missing." That is not weakness; it is wisdom.
Some environments do reward arrogance in the short term. But sustainable success almost always flows to the humble. Arrogant leaders eventually alienate the people they need. They stop learning and get disrupted. They create cultures of fear that underperform. You may need to adapt your style—being more direct or visible than feels natural—but you never need to abandon humility. Play the long game. Build real relationships. Let your work speak. The humble leader wins eventually.
Humility is less a feeling and more a practice. Start with behaviors: ask more questions, give credit generously, admit mistakes publicly, seek feedback actively. Over time, these practices reshape your heart. Also, spend time in practices that remind you of your place in the universe—worship, nature, studying people greater than you. Humility grows when you regularly encounter things bigger than yourself. You do not have to feel humble to act humble, and acting humble eventually shapes how you feel.
False humility can be problematic—constantly deflecting, refusing to lead, or hiding behind self-deprecation. But true humility, rightly understood, cannot be excessive. True humility does not mean being passive, indecisive, or invisible. It means accurate self-assessment, genuine openness to others, and service-oriented leadership. These are never excessive. If your "humility" is preventing you from leading effectively, it is probably insecurity masquerading as humility. True humility empowers bold action; it does not prevent it.