Intellectual humility is a trait characterized by an openness to the possibility of being wrong, a willingness to revise one’s beliefs in the face of new evidence, and a recognition of one’s own intellectual limitations. Essentially, it involves being humble about one’s own intellect and being open to learning from others, even if they have different perspectives or ideas.
While confidence about one’s beliefs is a leadership strength, any strength in excess can become a weakness. When a leader is overconfident and does not display intellectual humility, it can erode psychological safety. An environment is created where others don’t feel safe to share their ideas, especially opposing viewpoints, because they have learned the main decision-maker rarely changes his mind and that his way is the right way.
Eventually, team members may feel exasperated, discouraged, and defeated. They may feel that nothing they say or do makes a difference. They may simply go along to get along as speaking up has proved futile time and time again.
Nothing stifles innovation, creativity and productivity more than a culture of discouragement and not feeling seen, heard, appreciated, and valued.
Interestingly, leaders may overestimate how much intellectual humility they really have. In other words, they may think they’re open to being wrong and skilled at truly soliciting and listening to the perspectives of others, when really they’re not as open-minded as they think they are.
Psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger coined the term the Dunning- Kruger effect in 1999. Through their research on self-assessment and metacognition, they defined the Dunning-Kruger effect as a cognitive bias wherein individuals with low ability in a particular domain mistakenly assess their own skill level as greater than it is, while those with higher ability may underestimate their competence.
Underestimating one’s competence does not necessarily mean having a lack of confidence.
For me, I felt that the Dunning-Kruger effect was in full effect during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a worldwide pandemic on an unprecedented scale that the majority of the world’s population had never experienced before.
It was unfortunate that the act of mask-wearing during the pandemic became a hot-button issue that became political. The reason why I felt like I witnessed the Dunning-Kruger effect in full swing is because it seemed like those with no medical background or experience in the prevention of infectious diseases appeared much more confident, adamant, and passionate about their mask-wearing views than those who had done extensive research in the field and whose full-time professions were to eradicate the spread of COVID-19.
Those who were less skilled and experienced in the field of infectious diseases were more confident in their perspectives, displaying less intellectual humility than those with decades of experience in the field.
In contrast, many researchers, scientists, and physicians in the infectious diseases realm displayed more intellectual humility than those who had no experience in that arena.
This does not mean that those in the field were not confident in their views. In fact, they strongly urged the practice of wearing masks because to the best of their knowledge from their research, that was one of the best ways to slow down the spread of COVID-19. However, their intellectual humility was on display when many of them also shared that this was an unprecedented global crisis and that there were still many factors that they simply had yet to understand.
Another example of the Dunning-Kruger effect I’ve personally experienced in my life involves my two neuroscientists partners. Dr. Kent and Dr. Cziko whom I regularly collaborate with to create educational content for coaches and leaders. It has been so inspiring to witness them display intellectual humility on a regular basis.
They’ve earned PhDs in Neuroscience and have done countless hours of research, teaching and writing on the subject. With decades of experience backing them, it is not surprising that they present their ideas with confidence and articulation. However, they are always open to other interpretations and viewpoints. They are even open to being wrong, that something they’ve believed to be true may not be true after all.
The intellectual humility they display enhances our collaboration and increases my trust with them. It also allows me to feel seen and heard. While they have a ton more subject matter expertise in neuroscience, their willingness to listen to each other and to me, and changing course if necessary enables everybody on the team to feel like a valued contributing member.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is shown in this example because Dr. Kent and Dr. Cziko have an extremely high ability and skill set in the neuroscience field, yet can still underestimate their own competence.
Once again, underestimating one’s own competence doesn’t necessarily mean having low confidence on the topic. In this case, underestimating one’s own competence could enhance leadership effectiveness because it allows more space for open-mindedness and diverse viewpoints.
Dr. Kent and Dr. Cziko are an example of the more positive and effective spectrum of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
In fact, it takes an extremely confident and secure leader to be able to admit and model “I know a lot about this subject matter, and there’s still a lot I don’t know.”
Beware and be aware of what I call faux intellectual humility. Most leaders, especially the high-level ones that I usually work with would consider themselves very open-minded and intellectually humble. High-level leaders understand the importance of intellectual humility, yet some might be going through the motions rather than really embodying it.
For example, I was working with the CEO of a multi-billion dollar international travel company who was direct, clear, and assertive in his leadership style. He was aware that being an Enneagram 8 whose motivation is to be strong and to avoid expressing vulnerability, that he would need to deliberately practice slowing down and listening to others perspectives.
He believed that he was extremely open-minded and intellectually humble.
He did ask for other perspectives during meetings and input on company wide decisions. However, it was only during our deep coaching sessions that he realized that he was going through the motions of asking for input when secretly in his head, he had already made up his mind.
He saw asking for other perspectives as checking a box for what effective leaders do, rather than really listening and considering what others were saying. While he was proud of himself that he consistently gave others the opportunity to speak their voice, his powerful aha moment came when he discovered that he rarely believes that he could be wrong and how that was preventing him from becoming an even better leader.
He realized that he wasn’t actually as intellectually humble as he thought he was.
How intellectually humble are you really?
Like really.
Which spectrum of the Dunning-Kruger may you skew toward?
The spectrum where you may not be as skilled as you believe, thus overestimating your competence and being overconfident?
Or the spectrum where as skilled as you are, you still underestimate your competence, thus being truly open to the fact that you could be wrong and genuinely listen to what others have to say.
Here are some ways that you can enhance your genuine intellectual humility:
- Self-Reflection
Take time to reflect on your own intellectual humility. How open are you to the possibility that you could be wrong? Do you actively listen to what others are saying with genuine interest, curiosity, and consideration? Or are you practicing faux intellectual humility, where you ask for input yet don’t really value anybody else’s perspectives but your own?
- Lead By Example
Model intellectual humility in your interactions with others. Demonstrate a willingness to be wrong, admit mistakes, revise your beliefs in light of new evidence, and show appreciation for the expertise and insights of others. Truly listen to others without interrupting or immediately formulating a response. Pay attention to their perspectives and seek to understand their reasoning before offering your own thoughts. Ask curious questions to learn their point of view.
- Cultivate A Culture Of Intellectual Humility
Openly share and remind others that uncertainty is a natural part of the learning process and that it’s okay to be unsure or to change your mind based on new information. Encourage and cultivate a mindset of curiosity and continual learning. It’s okay to say “I don’t know” or “I need more information” instead of pretending to be an expert on every topic.
- Welcome Constructive Feedback On Everything Including Intellectual Humility
Embrace feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than a criticism. Be open to hearing perspectives that challenge your assumptions and be willing to consider how you can improve based on this feedback. Directly seek feedback on your intellectual humility.
- Encourage Dialogue And Collaboration
Create an environment where others feel comfortable sharing their ideas and perspectives without judgment or being interrupted. Encourage open dialogue and collaboration, valuing the input of every team member.
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