Humility and leadership. Those are two words that don’t fit together in our mind very often. Experience tells us pride is a more likely fit for leaders. So it’s surprising for any leader, especially a journalist, to admit wrong, apologize and say I’m sorry. That’s probably why I read in amazement Jemele Hill’s unvarnished apology to the Duke Lacrosse players on ESPN.com last week. She showed not only humility, but integrity and courage as well.
While writing a book on leadership, I’ve done a lot of reading and thinking about the leadership failure plaguing our culture. You pick the arena, business, politics, or religion, we face a leadership crisis. The problem is not lack of leaders. I believe it’s precisely because there are so few Jemele Hill’s out there who take responsibility for what they say or do and are ready to admit when they are wrong. In a day when image is reality, few leaders are willing to tarnish their perception of themselves by admitting wrong. They don’t realize that their image is already tarnished by those that perceive the truth that can’t be covered up?
But then the other question is, do followers have enough mercy to forgive and restore leaders who come clean? Do we demand perfection in leadership that discourages open admission of wrong? Have we set leaders on a pedestal where no man or woman belongs? Are we so proud that we can’t forgive?
That’s why I’m also amazed and challenged by two outstanding biblical leaders who demonstrated candid humility. Daniel 9 and Nehemiah 1 contain scathing confessions of sin and rebellion against God. How often have you heard a leader admit to something like that? How often have I heard myself admit to something like that, in private much less in public?
Excuse me; I have some confessing to do as a leader and as a follower.
