12 Ways to Encourage Leaders and Teams to Develop Intellectual Humility

How to overcome biases, arrogance, and egos – and make better decisions as a team

In a world filled with misinformation, fake news, and extreme perspectives, cultivating intellectual humility is not just a virtue but a necessity. Developing a well-rounded view of the world starts by challenging even the most basic assumptions.

Do you think your mom loves you?

If you answered "Yes," think again.

In journalism, there's an adage that says, "When your mom says she loves you, go and look for two other sources." This saying captures the essence of intellectual humility. Most of the time, the things we are absolutely convinced about are not as certain as we believe. I hope your mom loves you as much as mine does – and that you understand my point.

We often take many things for granted, which can lead to poor decision-making. This is particularly true for leaders who suffer from intellectual arrogance more than regular folks.

Intellectual humility goes beyond not being arrogant or being open-minded. It's about separating your ideas from your identity and being willing to review or change your viewpoints. Much like a diligent journalist who questions, verifies, and seeks diverse perspectives, pursuing intellectual humility requires a commitment to going beyond the surface.

You must be willing to challenge assumptions and embrace the complexity of different viewpoints – the truth is never a white-and-black matter. No matter how deeply it hurts, you should be open to challenging your beliefs in the face of new evidence.

In this article, I will share 12 actionable ways for you to work on improving your intellectual humility.

12 Ways to Increase Intellectual Humility

Leaders and teams that embrace intellectual humility also recognize the limitations of their knowledge, respect diverse viewpoints, and are willing to revise their beliefs.

Intellectual humility transcends mere tolerance, fostering a culture where curiosity thrives, collaboration flourishes, and innovation becomes a natural outcome. It's about overcoming biases, arrogance, and egos to make better decisions as a team. The following strategies and exercises are designed to challenge, provoke, and inspire you on this journey toward intellectual humility.

Cultivating intellectual humility is a journey that requires intentional effort, reflection, and collaboration. Here are some specific strategies to work on each of the four pillars of intellectual humility that I explained in a previous article:

1. Respect for other viewpoints
2. Low intellectual overconfidence
3. Identity separated from ideas
4. Willingness to review viewpoints

For each pillar, I suggest a personal experiment, a reflection exercise, and a team activity. Plus, a self-assessment tool to get your Intellectual Humility Score (at the end of this article).

Becoming intellectually humble is easier said than done.

Hint: Be ready to be challenged.

1. Respect for Other Viewpoints

Personal Experiment:

Engage in conversations with people who hold different political, religious, or cultural views. Attend community events or join online forums where diverse perspectives are shared. Challenge yourself to read books or watch news channels that contradict your beliefs. Engage with the material critically, recognizing the value in different approaches and methodologies.

This exposure will help you develop empathy and genuine respect for others' viewpoints.

Reflection Exercise:

Write a letter to someone with whom you had an argument. Share how you reflected on their viewpoint and, finally, were able to understand their perspective. This exercise can help you internalize empathy and respect for differing opinions.

Team Exercise:

Host a "Viewpoint Exchange" event where team members pair up and each has to present their opposing perspective on a specific topic. Next, have them switch roles and argue in favor of their colleague's argument, even though it's the opposite of theirs. This exercise fosters empathy and encourages a culture of respect for diverse opinions.

2. Neutralize Intellectual Overconfidence

Personal Experiment:

One of the hardest things for a leader to say is, "I don't know." To make better decisions, both in life and at work, it's essential to get comfortable with admitting when you don't have the answer. Consider joining workshops or seminars outside of your field of expertise. When your team asks you something, instead of providing an immediate response, be honest and say that you don't know.

Reflection Exercise:

Create a "Humble List" of subjects or skills you know little about or want to improve. Regularly review and update this list to keep yourself grounded and open to continuous learning.

Team Exercise:

Conduct a “Blue Team, Red Team" session where the red team reviews the blue team's plans to identify flaws, what's missing, and what can be improved. The Red Team/ Blue Team approach will keep your teams on their toes. They increase awareness to the fact that there are many factors we usually miss. Inviting a Red Team is an effective way to keep your team alert.

This practice helps recognize limitations and avoid overconfidence. By challenging your thinking, you can anticipate threats that your competitors can use against you. It also helps develop a learning mindset and promotes lateral thinking.

3. Separate Identity from Intellect

Personal Experiment:

Volunteer for a cause that you neither support nor believe in. Make your participation public, share it with your friends, and convince your family to join, too. Working alongside others with opposing viewpoints will make you uncomfortable and help you separate your ideas from your ego.

Reflection Exercise:

Reflect on a time when your ego was bruised by a conflicting idea or criticism. Analyze what triggered that reaction, what was happening before you reacted, and how the conversation ended. How can you respond more constructively in the future?

Team Exercise:

Implement an "Ideas Giveaway" day where team members present some of their best ideas and anyone else can 'adopt' them. The new owner can continue working on that idea with total autonomy, even if that takes them in a completely different direction than the original owner envisioned.

By giving away one's ideas, not only will people will not only learn to separate their identity from their intellect: Your team will end up with stronger ideas, too.

4. Willingness to Revise Viewpoints

Personal Experiment:

Commit to a "Learning Journal" where you document new insights, when you've changed your opinions, and the reasons behind those shifts. Recognize that changing your mind is a sign of growth, not weakness.

Reflection Exercise:

Reflect on a decision you regret and analyze what you would do differently now. Recognize the value of being willing to revise viewpoints when presented with new information.

Team Exercise:

Facilitate a "Pivot Strategy Session." Present a current project or strategy, and then introduce a sudden change in circumstances (e.g., new regulations, market shifts). Challenge the team to quickly adapt and revise their plans to accommodate the new scenario. This exercise emphasizes the importance of being agile and open to change, mirroring real-world situations where adaptability is vital.

Practice Makes Perfect – I Meant Humble

The pursuit of intellectual humility is comparable to a journalist's search for truth. It's a journey of investigation, inquiry, and the relentless search for evidence. The exercises and strategies outlined above are tools for challenging your views. Leaders and teams that adopt this journalistic mindset will become more adept at navigating the complex narratives of truth.

The path to wisdom is a dialogue, not a monologue. It's filled with questions, challenges, and the thrill of uncovering new insights. This is my invitation for all of us to don our journalist's hats, to question even the most fundamental assumptions, and to explore life with the humility and curiosity that characterizes true explorers.

Take our quiz to assess your own level and learn strategies to cultivate this essential quality.