“How’d I do?” asked the President – a Lesson in Leadership

As strategic plans and thoughts turn toward a new year, words like “crushing,” “disruption,” and “drive” often appear.  Hard-charging and brash leadership attributes from people like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, or Larry Ellison can fuel a competitive, winner-take-all focus. Assertiveness and self-promotion represent gamechangers.

While these aspirational examples can inspire, there exists one singular issue – called the “leadership X Factor” by many – that sets leaders apart and helps build companies: humility. Humility, as defined by researchers (like Simon Sinek), engages teams, customers and partners in an affirming collaborative approach. Humility as a leadership skill sets the tone and opens a door for risk-taking and advancement without innovation-draining anxiety.

Sinek’s defining maxim of knowing your “why” is anchored in humility. As he says: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Purpose and belief

The point? Purpose and belief represent the key drivers of inspiration, innovation, and loyalty. Humility – the expressed quiet confidence with which you regard co-workers, team members, customers and stakeholders as equal partners with worthy thoughts and deserving ideas – glues together lasting relationships that build businesses, create trends, and truly drive innovative collaborations.

Management expert Jim Collins defines the top tier of real executive direction as “Level Five Leadership,” which Harvard Business Review declares to “the triumph of humility and fierce resolve.”

How does Level Five Leadership show up? “The most powerfully transformative executives possess a paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional will. They are timid and ferocious. Shy and fearless. They are rare—and unstoppable.”

Humility allows leaders to express transformational confidence. Here’s an example:

“Do you mind if I try something?”

A popular movie in 2024 presented a unique view of the 40^th President of United States. For two hours and 15 minutes, the production simply titled “Reagan” sketched out a compelling visual history of Ronald Reagan. Whether one politically liked the man or not, the story demonstrated how Reagan could cross political lines to forge friendships and collaborative achievements, including one with Tip O’Neil, the then-Democratic Speaker of the House. Many found Reagan to display remarkable humility.

I personally had one encounter that for me dramatically proved that point of humility.

Several years ago I was working with a private foundation that was supporting the reconstruction of the renowned Globe Theatre in London, England. President Reagan had recently left office and had agreed to appear in a short video appeal to support fundraising for the Globe Theater.

I worked with Reagan’s post-presidency Chief of Staff to set up the production time at Reagan’s Century City office in western Los Angeles. I also was personally excited to have the privilege to write the script for the promotion.

Everything was approved in advance, and I accompanied the TV crew to Reagan’s office. Once through security and 40 floors up, we were told firmly that President Reagan had a packed schedule, so make things work the first time.

We set up lights and the area for the video, but a major problem emerged. The silver replica of the Globe Theatre that was the visual centerpiece of the promotional spot was stuck in Los Angeles Customs. We had lost the approved script’s visual center point. What were we going to do?

No time to panic

Before panic could fully set in, the office door opened and in walked the President. I’ve met a lot of executives in my life, including a number of U.S. Presidents, but nothing like meeting President Reagan. A fit man at a tall 6 ‘1, President Reagan exuded affable authoritative gravitas. The tenor of the room changed.

He greeted everyone with a smile, but immediately sensed that something was amiss. No large model of the Globe Theatre was before him, but a flat drawing spread out on a table.

“Hi, Sam,” the President said to his friend who was the principal leading the rebuilding effort. It was quickly explained to the President that we had a glitch.

The President’s brow furrowed briefly. He was holding my now-apparently worthless script in his hand.  He looked up around the room, and said in that breathless Reagan voice, “Do you mind if I try something?”

Of course not, was the universal reply.

A small microphone was pinned on the President’s coat and lights turned on, together with the video cameras.

From memory, the President launched into the pre-approved script, then unexpectedly pivoted. Gesturing toward the sketch of the Globe Theatre, he effortlessly remarked that in honor of the opportunity, he had made a special selection of cufflinks that morning, ones that represented Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors. He thought it fitting that in an effort to rebuild a legendary facility for actors, what better way to underscore an appeal than to reach across the ages to the fraternity of Genesius to support those who work in preserving the works of Shakespeare.

Then he switched back to the script, gently appealing for support in the way that only Reagan could do.

The timing was perfect, as was the message.

“How’d I do?” asked the President. “Is that okay?”

They didn’t call Ronald Reagan the Master Communicator for nothing.

Noting that all was well, instead of exiting to his next appointment (as his aides were motioning), President Reagan walked around the room, greeting each member of the crew and thanking them for supporting the rebuilding of the Globe Theatre.

His purposeful humility left us all in thunderstruck awe.

The sequel? On June 12, 1997, Her Majesty the Queen opened a rebuilt Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames River, accompanied by Prince Philip, the Royal Patron of the effort.

American Sam Wanamaker, a Shakespearean actor who left America during the Red Scare and had been supported by then-Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan in the 1950s, had died a few years earlier in 1993. But with the humble help of his friend, who of course had gone on to become President of the United States, the dream was fulfilled.

The takeaway? When plans form for 2025, don’t forget the power of true humility in leadership.

As Sinek rightly notes: “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”

By Michael Snyder, MEK