In an interview of Neil Young, Young was asked when he became a master musician, a master of his craft, and Young’s answer was, “Not yet.” He shared that he is happiest when making music, and the guitar is “so large” explaining how much more learning and creative opportunity was still available. This mindset of humility is disarming and reassuring at the same time. It reminds people that perfection is the enemy of practice. When we are humble we know there is always more practice for continuous improvement. Possessing this mindset also empowers the people you lead to make mistakes, and understand that is part of the learning process that is embraced in your organization’s culture.

 

The Exercise:

If you would really like to put humility into practice, bring a group of your peers together and facilitate a conversation led by sharing your biggest failures. This is highly validating, builds trust, and is a form of permission-based communication that helps people develop and grow. You can start with your leadership team, and have them bring it into their respective departments.