IT'S MORE THAN SAYING, “AW, SHUCKS ...”

Genuine humility is far more than brushing off compliments with an “Aw shucks, it was nothing.” In fact, this response smacks of false humility because it is often a ploy to get people to heap on the praise even more. Genuine humility is born of self-knowledge. For example, if you've been recently promoted, how you look at this promotion is highly dependent on whether you are self-reflective and balanced and truly self-confident. If this is the case, you will know that in addition to your strengths, abilities, and hard work, luck and timing also played a big role in your success. Being human, you'll still enjoy receiving compliments for your success and skills, but you will discern why you are drawing the spotlight of attention.

As a leader, you may find that suddenly some people lavishly praise everything you do. That was amazing. Nobody makes decisions like you do. You really know how to get things done ... If it sounds as though they are buttering you up, they probably are. Even when compliments are well intentioned, don't let people's praise carry you away, leading you to think you are invincible. Or, as the saying goes, “don't read your own press clippings.” Acknowledge that you've made progress and done well, but remain aware that you are not the be-all and end-all of corporate leadership. The principle of true self-confidence reminds you that you are no better or worse than anyone else. With genuine humility, you get to enjoy the journey as you rise through the ranks, while also making sure that you do not fall victim to an inflated ego that separates you from your team and colleagues, or that makes you a target of the criticism of others.

In my classes at the Kellogg School of Management, I frequently invite CEOs to be guest lecturers. Very often in these discussions, these senior leaders are asked, “At what point in your career did you decide that you were going to become a CEO? How early on did you make that decision?”

More often than not their reply is, “I never thought I'd become a CEO. I didn't even think that would happen to me.” The students' reactions are sometimes the equivalent of an eye roll as if to say, “Yeah, right. Here's another one of those guys who acts like, ‘Shucks, I can't believe this happened to me.’” Yet as I listen to these senior executives and as I look back on my own career, I am convinced that they're speaking the truth. People who have risen through the ranks on the merits of their abilities and what they have contributed to the organization are focused, first and foremost, on doing the best they can do in every job they have. Their emphasis is on doing the right thing and making a positive impact, not on plotting how to climb the proverbial ladder as quickly as possible.

I always had three career goals. The first was making sure that I was always learning and had the opportunity to grow. Second, I wanted to add value to my team so that we were really making a difference, not just sucking up oxygen. Third, because everyone was putting in a lot of time and effort, I wanted to make sure that I and everyone around me were having fun. Besides these three goals, I never expected or wanted specifically to be a vice president or the CFO or the CEO. As long as I could accomplish my three career goals—learn and grow, add value, and have fun—I was willing to take on any assignment.

Here's the paradox: genuine humility can actually do more for your career than tooting your own horn. Genuine humility will showcase your leadership by elevating your ability to relate to others, thus motivating your team. Admittedly, this is a hard concept for some people to swallow. They tell themselves, “Wait a minute! If I'm humble, that will hold me back. If I hesitate to speak up or to show what I can do, then I'll be in the shadows and no one will notice me.” You might be tempted to take on this attitude if you have a boss who doesn't champion you, perhaps because he is so wrapped up in himself. But genuine humility allows you to be authentic and become all you are capable of being—which will lead to your getting noticed.