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Leading with Humility:
Why "Our Way" Works Better Than "My Way or the Highway"

By Mark W. Sheffert
December 2003

I recently attended an unusual induction ceremony for the Athletic Hall of Fame at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It included the usual dinner followed by the usual accolades, awards, speeches, and applause. The unusual part was the acceptance speech by Marlowe “Red” Severson.

As head coach for the Huskies from 1958 to 1969, Severson established St. Cloud as a men’s basketball powerhouse. His teams had a 209-67 record during those years, and he had the greatest number of championships of any SCSU basketball coach – 10 conference titles in 11 years. Under Severson’s leadership, SCSU made six National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics playoff appearances, won three NAIA district titles, and made three trips to the national finals. He was named the Northern Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year several times, and won 13 NIC All-Sports Championships.

Severson was also the driving force behind projects that furthered the game of basketball – establishing tournaments and making improvements to the university’s basketball arena. He was a speaker at coaching clinics around the country, and has written several books about coaching.

But that’s not all. Several of his players were named All-American and went on to play basketball professionally; others have had very successful business careers. A remarkable coach, Severson created remarkable players who’ve become remarkable people.

After Severson was presented with his award, he didn’t give the usual “you really, really like me!” speech. He accepted the honor on behalf of his wife and family, players, water boys, assistant coaches, and all the others who helped make his teams successful. He gave credit to everyone but himself.

Then, rather than describing his best games, he spoke about his experiences as an English professor, and about teaching on the basketball court as well. He talked about his own teachers, and about how he had learned more from his players than he had taught them.

Now retired, Severson enjoys golf and writing poetry. He is uncomfortable talking about himself. But when pressed, he will tell you that he is proudest of (in order of importance) his faith, his wife and family, what he’s done to give back to society by teaching – and then his coaching successes.

Here’s a guy who has won darn near everything and has every reason to brag, but doesn’t do it. In fact, I found out that he had been nominated for SCSU’s Hall of Fame several times before, but refused the honor until the school had first inducted some of his players, whom he felt deserved the honor more than he did.

Compare Severson’s style of leadership with the style of Bobby Knight, George Patton, Al “Chainsaw” Dunlap, Lee Iacocca, or Jack Welch: humility versus arrogance, leadership by inspiration versus leadership by fear. Charismatic personalities get our attention, but do they really garner the long-term admiration of those they lead? And do the results those leaders achieve always last?

A humble yet resolved leader can transform a business in its daily struggle toward strategic goals – modestly achieving and sustaining remarkable results in a measured way. It’s much more difficult and unusual to lead with humility and quietness, to give people the freedom they need to excel within a framework of disciplined processes and intolerance for mediocrity. True leaders motivate by communicating expectations and standards, not by being charismatic.

Leaders who show humility make a lasting impact on our lives. They listen to and respect others. They are conscious that words have a lasting effect, so they don’t scream to make people cower, but choose their words carefully. For leaders with humility, it’s easy to be encourage others and to enjoy pushing them to take risks, pick themselves up after mistakes, learn new skills, and pursue dreams.

Humility is one of those characteristics of leadership that is difficult to teach at business school. Rather, I think it is learned at a young age by the example of parents, teachers, and others who positively affect our lives.

Humility is related to honesty: By knowing themselves well and acknowledging weaknesses as well as strengths, leaders live and lead authentically. They don’t say one thing and do another when no one is watching.

Which means humility is also related to courage. It’s not easy to discuss an organization’s problems with employees. For many business leaders, it’s only after they’ve arrived in a leadership position that they realize they aren’t really “in charge”. Success depends on people and things outside of their control. You can’t be a leader without a following. Humility is the ability to recognize that.

There’s something very appealing about humility. It’s the mark of those who have a feeling of personal adequacy, which enables them to learn from other people’s ideas. It’s not a “my way or the high way” approach to leadership; it’s an “our way” approach. As author Ken Blanchard says, “Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. It means you think of yourself less.” (Unlike Ted Turner, who said, “If I had any humility, I would be perfect”!)

I can’t think of anyone who exemplifies humility in leadership better than Red Severson, who was an outstanding basketball coach, but is an even more outstanding teacher, husband, father, and human being. By the way, I’m proud to say that he’s also my father-in-law. Thanks, Red!


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