Harmony Between Humility and Authority
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29, NIV). Jesus, the king of the universe, was born in a humble manger and self-described as gentle and humble in heart. Who else can we learn humble leadership from better than King Jesus? Everyone has experienced an arrogant leader, and such experiences make us yearn for humble leadership.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to lead like Jesus did and may lean more towards arrogance or lack of confidence. In the extremes, we either have arrogant and authoritarian leadership styles, or we are weak and passive leaders. Jesus had the perfect blend of power and authority, yet was gentle and lowly at heart. Why is it so hard to find this balance? I think it is because power and authority often feel in tension with being gentle and lowly. But what if, rather than having these two in tension, we can hold them in harmony together? This is what Jesus did.
Schein and Schein, authors of Humble Leadership, Second Edition: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust, describe 4 levels of relationships:
Level minus 1: Negative relationships
Level 1: Transactional, Bureaucratic, and “Professional” Relationships
Level 2: Relationships That Acknowledge the Whole Person
Level 3: Intimacy and Emotional Attachment, Friendship, and Love [1][2]
The most successful leaders are often engaging in level 2 relationships with their colleagues. They view staff as people rather than tools to be used for personal gain.
Furthermore, as leaders grow in responsibility, wicked problems become the norm rather than the exception. Level 2 leaders recognize that in as the world grows increasingly complex, problems are harder to solve and they must rely on others to discover solutions. David Gurteen describes a similar concept slightly differently: “Conversational Leadership is about appreciating the transformative power of conversation, practicing leadership, and adopting a conversational approach to the way we work together in a complex world.” [3]
But humble and conversational leadership aren’t the only qualities that Jesus possessed. When Jesus commanded the storm to be still or rebuked the demon in the man at the Gerasenes, he wasn’t open to a conversation or timid about his decision. He took decisive action and owned it.
Whenever I read about a specific leadership style that responds to another, I often think that there is likely something good in both approaches. Yes, humble leadership is beautiful and a good model to follow, especially given the complexities of today. AND, there is a time and place to have courage and make an authoritative decision. Jesus knew how to do both/and. It takes courage to be a leader. Courage to listen and be humbled. Courage to make a tough decision and stick by it. Courage to make the wrong decision and own up to it. Courage to have your mind changed.
I’ve been fortunate to work under mostly humble leaders, but the most influential was Tim, the owner of a logistics company where I first learned what it meant to lead in a professional setting. I entered the role with limited knowledge of logistics and supervision, but Tim invested in me. He believed in my ability to grow and took the time to coach me.
The environment was fast-paced and constantly changing. There was rarely time for deep analysis before making operational decisions. One of our go-to phrases was, “Ready, fire, aim.” That mindset taught me a valuable lesson: taking action was often more important than waiting for the perfect plan. Progress beats perfection.
Tim also lived by the saying, “Fail often, fail early, and fail cheap.” That philosophy gave me the confidence to take risks, experiment, and learn through doing. It created a culture where mistakes weren’t feared—they were fuel for growth.
Looking back, I realize how much of my leadership foundation was built during that time. Tim’s trust, mentorship, and willingness to let me learn through experience shaped the way I lead today. I’ll always be grateful for his guidance and the impact he had on my life.
References
[1] Michelle Gulka, “Humble Leadereship Executive Book Summary,” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5df3bc9a62ff3e45ae9d2b06/t/5e4c6116b7b5e27580b75c54/1582063898230/Humble+Leadership+-+Schein.pdf.
[2] Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein, Humble Leadership, Second Edition: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust, Second Edition (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2023).
[3] “What Is Conversational Leadership?,” https://epm.umd.edu/conversational-leadership/.
About the Author
Christy
6 responses to “Harmony Between Humility and Authority”
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Christy, Thanks for your reflections on Jesus as a humble leader. I liked Schein and Schein’s approach to humble leadership, which is not another theory or characteristic of leadership, but rather the way in which leadership is practiced. This immediately reminded me of Jesus and the different ways he led. The verses that came to mind for me were Philippians 2:7-10. Even in his authoritative stances, He remained in his humble state as God in human flesh.
In your example of Tim’s leadership, I was wondering what level of relationship he cultivated with you? What impact did that have on your perception of him as a leader?
Hey Christy,
I really like how you described bringing power and authority together with gentleness and lowliness, instead of treating them as totally separate leadership styles.
What does that look like for you in your leadership right now (not just at work, but in life in general)? Do you find yourself leaning more toward the authoritative side or the gentle side?
I’m still learning how to harmonize the two myself. The more authoritative, commanding style has always felt a little unnatural for me, so I’m figuring out how to lead with confidence while still keeping a gentler posture.
Hi Christy, one thing you mentioned in your post that stood out to me was that some leaders act out of arrogance or a lack of confidence. My thoughts turn to wondering if most failed leadership stems not only from a lack of skill, but predominantly from a lack of confidence, self-awareness, and faith. A person in a leadership role (notice I didn’t say ‘leader’) who lacks those foundational pieces might perceive input, ideas, and attempts at collaboration as threats, thus leading them to engage in maladaptive interactions to hold on despite a possible threat.
Hey Christy! Great reflective post. I appreciate looking through he lens of Christ. How does Jesus’ ability to hold both humility and authority in harmony challenge Level 2 relationships, and what might this mean for a leader who faces high-pressure decisions?
Hi, Christy, thank you for your post. It is very interesting to see how you reconcile humility and authority in humble leadership. Reading your post makes me think of humble leadership as another overlay in our leadership mapping, as a tool for certain time and uses.
Thank you, Christy.
Christy, I read this post a couple of times, and would love to hear a little more about the tension you felt. Your working out reminds me of past Cohort conversations about when or when not to use coaching – “you don’t coach through options when the house is on fire, and everyone needs to get out”. If I understand you, you’re saying there’s a time for humility, and there’s a time to overturn tables.
I see your example in Tim of a leader who was decisive in action, but cognizant of the people around him. He exercised humility within his authority. This is Christ’s example, too — rarely explosive, and never exploitative. The Phil 2 “kenotic” self-sacrificing love of the Incarnation while maintaining authority, but never authoritarian, dictatorial, or abusive of people.
In the backdrop of a contemporary workforce hungry for mutual respect and trust rather than being treated like pawns, how might you describe what a Christ-like humble authority in leadership ought to look like?