What is modest leadership? Why humility improves teams, leaders and patient care

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In this blog Dame Celia Ingham Clark DBE, Chairman of FMLM, explores the power of humility in healthcare leadership. Far from being a weakness, modest leadership – characterised by self-awareness, openness to learning, and celebrating the successes of others – can strengthen teams, improve staff wellbeing, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for patients. Dame Celia shares personal insights and examples from across the NHS, highlighting why modest leaders can be some of the most effective.

We have all seen heroic leaders in healthcare who seem to hold an unwavering self-belief in their own abilities. On the other hand I talk to many colleagues in leadership positions who experience imposter syndrome – and this includes not just women who are generally less inclined to self-promote than men. While there is clearly a spectrum of natural leadership styles, some of which can be explained by one’s level of extroversion, its also worth considering the benefits of a more modest approach. Imposter syndrome may simply be a manifestation of self-awareness, and there is growing evidence that a high level of self-awareness and a humble approach can be a very effective leadership behaviour in healthcare systems. This is not about leading a cardiac arrest call or a Major Trauma response. In those emergency situations a directive leadership style following standardised protocols and algorithms is very important. This is about the best style to lead a team from day to day, to get the best out of the whole team in a way that benefits team members and the patients you are caring for.

Modest leadership is a style characterised by humility, willingness to learn from others and a focus on team collaboration. Modest leaders prioritise the needs of their team, actively listen to their input and share credit for successes. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, previous National Medical Director for the NHS, used to say that one can achieve almost anything as long as you don’t mind who takes the credit. In practice Sir Bruce was always generous in celebrating the achievements of team members and promoting their successes. Sir David Sloman, previous Chief Operating Officer at NHS England, and with whom I worked when he was a Trust CEO, said that his role as CEO was to appoint people who were better than him and support them to perform well. These are both good examples of modest leadership behaviours.

When I held the role of National Director for reducing premature mortality I set up a cross-system Sepsis Board and invited a range of healthcare professionals, patient representatives, Royal Colleges, managers and DHSC representatives to come together and develop a plan to reduce deaths from sepsis in this country. These colleagues came up with several excellent ideas that we were then able to build into a plan for action and operationalise. This led to improvements in the recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, and a campaign to encourage the public to ask “Could this be sepsis?”, if their family member seemed very unwell with an infection. We were able to support the Royal College of Physicians’ roll-out of NEWS (National Early Warning Score) to identify acutely unwell patients, and a working group on behalf of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to update the evidence on treatment of sepsis. All of this was only possible because of the excellent knowledge and skills of the members of the Sepsis Board coming from diverse backgrounds, and their determination to make a difference for patients. Over a three year period data showed that the work of the team led to an estimated 1,000 lives saved across England.

A modest leader admits their vulnerability and creates a safe space for others to contribute. They respect their team members and understand their individual strengths, enabling them to make their own contributions with confidence. 

This inclusive approach helps leverage the impact of diversity. Roger Kline said that understanding and enabling inclusion is an essential pre-requisite for success, not an optional extra.

How can I become a modest leader? By admitting my own mistakes and learning from them. By actively listening to colleagues and delegating effectively through knowing individuals’ strengths. By celebrating team members’ successes. And by seeking out constructive criticism and being open to learning from others.

How will this help me? By letting go of the constant need to be “right” humility reduces stress and anxiety. Humility also increases self-awareness and so is a powerful tool for learning and growth.

How will it help my team? The modest leader fosters trust and true collaboration. This leads to a culture of learning throughout the team with increased trust and engagement. Team members will be more willing to go the extra mile and the effectiveness of the whole team improves.

How will it help patients? In healthcare leadership is decisive in improving the quality of care and the performance of hospitals. Modest leaders who value and support their staff and make them feel included are effective at improving the quality of care for patients.

One caveat however - while modesty makes a great leader, don’t be so self-effacing that you don’t apply for promotion to more senior leadership roles because you don’t think you are good enough. The best way not to get any job is not to apply for it. I have explained above why modest leadership is great for the individual leader, for team members and for patients; if your leadership style is modest you should still have the courage to step up to make a difference in a wider role. Go for it; and remember FMLM is there to provide support and guidance along the way.

Dame Celia Ingham Clark DBE
FMLM Chairman