The Leadersmithing of a Humble, RARE Leader that Mines for Gold in Others
As I read this week’s reading of Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust by Edgar Schein and Peter Schein, I made several leadership connections to other texts I have read in the last 2+ years. This is an attempt to highlight some of those connections between the texts. As our world rapidly changes, leadership paradigms have shifted too, especially with the rising number of leadership breakdowns, evident in government, educational systems, and ministry settings. [1] Relationship-centered approaches, that emphasize humility, collaboration, and shared purpose, have become needed and more common. Books, that we have read, such as Rare Leadership by Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Leadersmithing by Eve Poole, Mining for Gold by Tom Camacho, and this week’s text Humble Leadership by Edgar Schein and Peter Schein, offer ideas for a fresh rethinking of leadership and moving toward the development of psychologically safe, connected, and trust-driven environments.
In Humble Leadership by Edgar and Peter Schein, humble leadership involves seeking something new and better within a “fundamental process that complements various notions of leadership described as servant leadership or as adaptive, boundary-spanning, learning, inclusive, transactional, transformative, and so on. . . humble leadership emphasizes the practice of how any of these traits can help drive new and better actions.” [2] The authors suggest that humble leadership is about fostering environments where trust and open communication flourish. Humility, in this sense, is not just a characteristic of a leader but a crucial function of leadership itself—one that builds deeper, level 2 relationships where individuals are valued as whole people. [3] Personalized and psychologically safe relationships are essential for fostering innovation and creativity in fast-changing, complex work environments.
The challenge is that many organizations remain entrenched in “level 1” transactional relationships, prioritizing efficiency and task completion over personal connection. [4] I experience this in the school setting as the demand for increased productivity, adding more responsibility to the position, is not paired with shiting some to others. In such environments, leaders can easily become isolated, unable to tap into the collective intelligence of their teams. This disconnect, as Greg Satell points out in Cascades, can lead to an organization’s downfall as leaders lose touch with the very forces, both internal and external, that could drive transformational change. [5]
The antidote? The authors suggest that humble leaders embrace situational humility by acknowledging what they don’t know, actively listening to diverse perspectives, and allowing others to contribute their unique insights. [6] Humble leaders create collaborative spaces where feedback flows freely, mistakes are part of the growth process, and a shared sense of purpose guides decision-making. The shift from control to trust is central to this model, leading to more adaptive and resilient teams. [7]
In Rare Leadership, authors Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder discussed the need for leaders to balance technical skills with emotional and relational intelligence. In the school setting in which I serve, I often see undue emphasis on technical solutions to problems without addressing the underlying social dynamics that hinder progress. In a recent leadership team meeting, we talked about training teachers in using strategies of Responsive Classroom, neglecting the fact that the majority of our teachers have not been trained in “the why” of the theory, which is totally focused on building relationships with students as a primary focus of instruction. Leaders who prioritize relationship-building, emotional maturity, and the ability to create connected teams ultimately foster a healthier organizational culture. Warner and Wilder emphasize the importance of relationships in leadership, echoing Schiens’ idea of level 2 relationships. They argue that leadership is not just about solving problems but about creating environments where people feel safe, valued, and motivated to contribute their best work. This development of a “RARE” leader is a process of “smithing”, a lifetime apprenticeship of leadership.
In the book Leadersmithing by Eve Poole, Ms. Poole correlates leadership as an apprenticeship developed over a lifetime. Poole sees leadership development as a tortoise-like approach that takes a lifetime. [8] Poole also emphasizes the importance of networking and interconnectivity. The emphasis on relationships and leading collaborative teams ties in with the ideas presented in Humble Leadership and Rare Leadership.
One of the risks highlighted in Humble Leadership is the evolution of a group’s culture toward conventions that stifle creativity and openness. Over time, even the most innovative teams can become rigid, adhering to narrow definitions of what leaders should be and how they should act. I have seen this in ministry settings where ministry leaders set up structures that do not allow for creativity and thinking outside of the box. “Developing the skills to clarify and share your insight, and then assimilating what others know can help you influence change (toward something new and better), and this is the practice of Humble Leadership.” [9] To combat this, leaders must remain vigilant about fostering a culture of inquiry—asking questions, challenging assumptions, and encouraging experimentation. As Tom Camacho writes in Mining for Gold, leaders are called to “mine for the gold in others” by recognizing and refining the unique contributions of each individual. This process requires humility, patience, and a willingness to let go of control in favor of empowerment. [10]
In summary, I found several points of convergence of ideas from these texts that we have read in our doctoral journey—Humble Leadership, Rare Leadership, Leadersmithing, and Mining for Gold. For me, each author seems to highlight the value of developing and refining relationships, as well as relational skills, in myself and modeling for those I lead. It’s about being humble enough to learn from others, wise enough to build meaningful relationships, and resilient enough to keep growing, one step at a time.
[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/the-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/
[2] Schein, Edgar H., and Peter A. Schein. Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust. (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018), 4.
[3] Ibid, 2.
[4] Ibid, 17-18.
[5] Greg Satell, Cascades: How to Create a Movement That Drives Transformational Change, (New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2019), 15.
[6] Schein & Schein, 8.
[7] Schein & Schein, 14.
[8] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership. (London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017), 181.
[9] Schein & Schein, 9.
[10] Tom Camacho, Mining for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019), 4.
About the Author
Cathy Glei
Cathy Glei serves as an instructional leader and pastor with over 27 years in education and ministry. She is dedicated to discipling others as they grow in their relationship with God, others and the world. Cathy has facilitated numerous professional development sessions, trainings, and workshops in both education and ministry. Passionate about supporting others in uncovering the Creator's design within them, Cathy lives in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and their eight-year-old Springer Spaniel, Otis. Cathy is a mother of three daughters and "Gooma" (grandma) to two adorable grandsons (emphasis on adorable 😊). She enjoys listening and exchanging laughter and stories with others, hanging out with friends, both old and new, as well as being outdoors, enjoying activities such as cycling, camping, hiking, and kayaking.10 responses to “The Leadersmithing of a Humble, RARE Leader that Mines for Gold in Others”
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Hi, Cathy,
Excellent convergence of so many of our readings in the past. You mentioned “Leaders who prioritize relationship-building, emotional maturity, and the ability to create connected teams ultimately foster a healthier organizational culture.” This truly is truly a good summary of what helps bring health to a culture. I’m curious, how have you been able to nurture this in your own congregation?
Thank you for asking! I can’t speak for every team but our Kid zone team spends time together, relationship building, training, hangouts, cookouts and one-to-ones. In our recent training time, we enjoyed a Mediterranean meal and got to hear from a friend of mine who is a teacher for an ASD program in our building. Our team wanted to learn about how to better minister to our students and adults with autism. Learning together, eating together, spending time together and sharing life are a priority. The Lord just brings people together in unique ways.
Cathy, I love the concilience here! Your post set off a million neurons in my brain all firing at the same time.
The books you mention have been some of my favorite books from the program, and most helpful to my life and NPO. We keep coming back to the idea of curiosity, and openess, and humility, and collaborative exploration. All ultimately vital for rising generations of leaders to feel like they have ownership in a church or organization instead of feeling like they just have to “do it the way we tell them” until they are in charge.
YES AND AMEN!!!
Nice job synthesizing so many of our reads over the years. I was happy to see your comment: “the authors suggest that humble leaders embrace situational humility by acknowledging what they don’t know, actively listening to diverse perspectives, and allowing others to contribute their unique insights.” This was one of my favorite thoughts from the reading because this shift was so freeing for me when I realized I did not need to be the smartest person in the room. A question for you: In your estimation, what are common barriers for leaders to adopt this posture?
A few of the characteristics that come to mind are being okay with not knowing, asking for help, releasing control, and simply trusting (God, first and foremost) and others. The big P_ _ _ _ word has been a barrier to leading with humility in all things for me. Thanks for asking!
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for highlighting previous books and how humble leadership was depicted in them. Several of us have done that and it’s great seeing how humble leadership practices come up with so many different authors. I appreciated your closing statement, “It’s about being humble enough to learn from others, wise enough to build meaningful relationships, and resilient enough to keep growing, one step at a time.” Thanks for a great post!
Cathy, you make some excellent syntopical connections. You state that “(t)he authors suggest that humble leadership is about fostering environments where trust and open communication flourish.” I agree. I also think that Simon Walker’s attachment to an “Other” (not finding one’s identity in the applause of others) is crucial for trust and healthy communication. Being able to be separate (e.g, finding/resting in one’s identity in Christ), yet connected (able to relate with empathy) — similar to how Friedman defines differentiation — is crucial for these environments to exist.
You said, “I have seen…in ministry settings where ministry leaders set up structures that do not allow for creativity and thinking outside of the box.” This made me think of what J. Haidt wrote in his Foreword to The Canceling of the American Mind: “Show me an organization where people are afraid to speak up, afraid to challenge dominant ideas lest they be destroyed socially, and I’ll show you an organization that has become structurally stupid, unmoored from reality, and unable to achieve its mission.”
Hi Cathy,
I enjoyed reading your very enlightening writing. You brilliantly correlated this week’s reading with previous readings and found exciting intersection points.
I am just wondering if anyone practices the minus 1 level of relationship in your context, whether school or church. If so, what do people usually do to overcome this problem?
Thank you for asking Dinka. I do not see or am aware of -1 level relationships in my church or school context directly. However, I do wonder about “power moves” that take place in school settings. For example, in the relationships between administrators, teachers and teaching assistants.