Humility helps: it stops you looing like an ego-maniac

 
When you look for a list of ‘What makes a great Leader or Manager’, you get the usual suspects.

"They listen.
  They admit mistakes.
  They ask for advice.
  They are great communicators (because their messages are clear).
  They respect their teams"

It’s the same when we ask people to tell us about the best bosses they have had. What was it that set them apart from the ordinary? What made them special and good to work for?
 
In those lists, is one trait which is notoriously difficult to carry out.

It can often be seen as a weakness by those who don’t try to apply it. But lack of it can cause damage.

Humility – and a particular aspect of this leadership disposition: admitting when you are wrong and apologising.
 
I have a close friend ‘Cindi’ who has recently experienced this. 

They were accused by their line manager of failing to complete some mandatory training when this was not the case.

The line manager refused to take Cindi’s word.

After taking the issue further up the line, my friend was proven right.

It damaged Cindi’s respect for her line manager, who clearly did not trust her. But what makes this worse as well as being a real case of poor leadership, was no apology about the mix-up was given.

Has the line manager learned how to talk to their colleagues in a professional and supportive way? No.

About one month later (a Friday morning), Cindi, along with others in the same role, got a similar email from the line manager. It forcefully set out that they had received a message from HR about another section of training, and that the completion time/ date was later that day.

Cindi checked her in box. No message from HR.

It looks like someone else on the mailing list had got back to the line manager and told them that no such email had arrived because an hour or so later, an email from the line manager arrived saying:

“I’m checking to see if you have been sent the previously mentioned message” and to be patient.

Notably no apology that the accusations they made might be wrong.
 
On the following Monday morning, the message from HR is in Cindi’s inbox.
 
Any communication from the line manager?
 
Sadly not.
 
When it’s set out like this, it might look trivial. But there is a pattern here of incompetence and lack of trust.
 
Cindi’s respect for the line manager was low, but now rock bottom. She is requesting a different line manager.

How hard is it to say, ‘sorry for the inconvenience!’

That's all it will have taken.

What I never understand is why so many leaders and managers seem unable or unwilling to learn from both good and bad practice that they see.

Or maybe I do know.

Arrogance, ego and enjoying the power given to them by their position.

​Any comments?