Humbler Leadership: How to Enhance Your Effectiveness and Enrich Your Life

by Josh Wymore

"Josh is a fantastic coach! He has helped members of my team gain amazing insights into their leadership capabilities and make significant progress towards becoming better leaders. The ideas and concepts in Humbler Leadership will change your thinking about leadership and help anyone who desires to be a better leader." – Tim Simmons, Chief Product Officer, Sam’s Club

What if the secret to success in your life and leadership was an ancient virtue that was hiding in plain sight?

Many leaders who are struggling with burnout, poor performance, and disengaged teams share one common gap in their humility. While bold and egocentric CEOs are often celebrated, decades of research and centuries of history show humble leaders make better strategic decisions, bring out the best in others, live happier lives, and embrace kindness without sacrificing results. Humility offers a critical advantage to leaders, yet few have a concrete plan for how to develop this character trait. Until now.

Leveraging the latest social science research and his experience coaching executives at Fortune 500 companies, Dr. Josh Wymore unpacks the four traits of humble leaders and the 10 practices any leader can use to become humbler today. In Humbler Leadership, Wymore a humble CEO increased his company’s market capitalization by 800%How a humble football coach built caring relationships with his team to win multiple championshipsHow the Humility Paradox enables leaders to balance self-awareness and self-esteemHow a leader’s emotional intelligence trumps raw intelligence to drive better resultsBy dissecting this often-overlooked character trait of successful leaders and creating a practical guide for how to implement it, Humbler Leadership gives leaders the tangible tools they need for their leadership development.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

Reviews

[Philip Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Josh Wymore serves every leader well by 1) drawing our attention to the necessity of humility in our leadership, and 2) more practically, giving us some tools to actually become humbler! I’ve long been sold on the value of humility, but aside from praying for it, I don’t know if I’ve ever taken many steps to actually becoming humbler (and I did google “more humble vs. humbler”…Wymore is right, no surprise!).
Wymore does an impressive job of synthesizing numerous leadership books, trends, and research, and then adding practical steps and great stories to help us on our journey of humility. As you read, you too will be inspired by the stories of softball coach Brad Bowser, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and famed war nurse Florence Nightingale.
I was personally challenged by the simple yet paradigm shifting illustration of how our inspiration can only be connected to our transformation through application. Dr. Wymore has inspired me, and he’s given me the tools to work toward transformation. If I’m able to apply them, don’t worry, I won’t boast about it, because I’ll be far too humble.

[Danette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh takes a “humble” approach to leadership without being self-deprecating or prideful in his humility. His personal stories highlight that leadership spans from sports to home to the workplace. Josh is well-read, but manages to take a fresh look at a lot of the leadership material that is out there. How can we be humbler if we’re trying to be great? How can be humble when we have to have candor in leadership? The last half of the book is offered up menu style. You can read it all in a row, but he structures the last chapters in such a manner that you can determine where you want to start with your personal development journey. Well done. Recommend.

[Vicki Gatchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to become a better leader? Do you want to draw more out of those you lead? Leadership coach and author, Josh Wymore, Ph.D. combines research with his own experience and practical insights to help you grow in humility was you lead others! Josh has packed his book with personal stories, character-building mindsets, skill-sets, and pathways, emphasizing that what we do influences who we become! If you want to become more "others-centered" in your leadership, I highly recommend his new book, Humbler Leadership!

[Tracy Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of leadership and work related books throughout any given year (I'm on track to far surpass my goal of 125 books for 2023). Humbler Leadership has been one of the best if not the best leadership book I've read in the last few years. The author imparts personal stories and well-collected data to support the conclusions, in an enjoyable read. I'm really glad I purchased the book as I have referenced it in conversations and will likely read it again and again.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. I found a lot of sources that he used was from other leaders and researchers that I was familiar with and have read their books. It was a nice compilation of that work. There were a few encouraging tidbits in there, but nothing new for me. (had I not been previously exposed to the other leaders as well as personality assessments I would have found the book very helpful)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is a daily thing. Daily habits form and define our lives—what you do shapes who you become and what you become shapes what you do. Dr. Josh Wymore offers a helpful roadmap for more effective humble leadership in all spheres of life. “Humble leadership is seeking an accurate self perception, appreciating others’ strengths and contributions, embracing a growth mindset, and pursuing a greater purpose.” Wherever you lead, don’t miss this opportunity to thrive through humility—enjoying benefits for yourself, your team, your community, and beyond.