Four Statements Leaders Must Learn

​This is a follow up on my last two blog posts on humble leadership.

I wasn’t a naturally humble leader when I started my career in operations. I was on the more charismatic end of leadership profiles. But I was raised with a deep sense of right and wrong and eventually I realized that some of my tendencies were doing harm to the people with whom I worked and were ineffective. This really bothered me and I decided I needed to intentionally work to shift it. It's taken years, but the effort was worth it. 

I believe that if we keep growing the good, it raises the consciousness in our systems, workplaces and families. 
 
Louise Penny is a (brilliant) Canadian author who has written a great series of mysteries. One of the main characters is Inspector Gamache, head of the homicide department of the Surete du Quebec.  Gamache is a humble servant leader if there ever was one. Among his many gifts, Gamache is a person who knows how to in develop people and bring out the best in them. He believes they can grow and get better, even when they have made big mistakes. One of his first teachings for those he leads and mentors is introducing the four statements (Louise Penny, Still Life).
 
“There are four things that lead to wisdom. You ready for them? She nodded, wondering when the police work would begin. They are four sentences we learn to say, and mean. Gamache held up his hand as a fist and raised a finger with each point. 

I don’t know. 
I need help. 
I’m sorry. 
I was wrong.”
 
These four statements are important for all of us to know, and this is especially true for those who lead others. More than ever, with information and technology exploding around us, leaders, along with all humans, often don’t know, need help, make mistakes and are wrong. It’s always been true, but with the prevalence and speed of information, including lots of disinformation, flowing from social media (aka, "social advertising"), has even greater urgency today. 
 
We have forgotten that amidst all the data, analytics, and algorithms, that if we don’t make our systems more human, humans won’t want to work in them, let alone be able to thrive in them. Knowing how and when to say these four statements, and mean them, is a good place to start.
 
Moira Clarke founded Leadership Consulting Partners (almost) 21 years ago to help companies advance their leadership and people systems and create healthier, more vibrant workplaces. If you are reading this to the end, and you find value, please say so and share with others on LinkedIn and Twitter. Thank you!