Lean Quote: Bigheads Can’t Improve Because They Can’t Be Wrong

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Bigheads can’t improve because they can’t be wrong."   — Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak

Humility may be a virtue, but it’s also a competitive advantage.

7 reasons humility is a brilliant idea:

1. You’re not as smart as you think. Make room for ignorance. You don’t know what you don’t know.
2. People that seem stupid become smart as time passes. Your parents got smarter when you had your own kids.
3. Compliments are only partially true. People smile and tolerate your unattractive qualities.
4. Self-made is an arrogant myth. We all stand on the shoulders of others. You’re reaching too low if you aren’t standing on someone’s shoulders.
5. Control is illusion. You live a life of dependency.
6. You’re going to change your mind.
7. Success, in large part, is good fortune. You were at the right place at the right time.

But humility, like other virtues, can be developed. Resolve to work on your own humility and you’ll begin to notice and appreciate its power all around you.

Don’t be afraid to speak of your own failures, weaknesses, and blind spots, and how they have spurred your learning and ultimate success. Doing so will make us all better performers and more effective leaders.