The Importance Of Humility In Leadership 

The Importance of Humility In Leadership

By Dr. Marquette L. Walker

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In my experience leading teams of up to 50 within organizations of more than 26,000 employees, I’ve learned that leadership hinges on one key trait: humility. ​Here’s the hard truth: you may not be the smartest person among those you lead and honestly, you shouldn’t be.

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Over the past year, I’ve been blessed to build teams across my ministry Marquette L. Walker Ministries my entrepreneurial ventures, and Marquette’s Destiny Foundation. In this process, I’ve assembled teams filled not just with exceptional talent, but with people who embody patience, integrity, and humility. (Thankfully, God has given me the gift of discernment to find such people!)

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Through this journey, God has taught me the importance of staying in my lane of showing my team that I trust them fully and creating a culture rooted in excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.

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Do your employees feel trusted?

​Whether you lead a staff of two or two hundred, trust is the foundation of a healthy workplace. It drives success by fueling engagement, productivity, and retention. Yet a gap persists: 86% of executives claim they trust their employees, but only 60% of employees feel trusted, according to PwC’s Trust Survey. The problem is even more pronounced among younger generations, who often struggle with micromanagement.

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This disconnect stifles potential. When employees feel trusted, their talents flourish. When they don’t, teams often fall prey to favoritism, poor communication, resentment, and gossip. The result? Low morale, tense environments, and weak performance. By the grace of God, I’ve helped turn such teams around in less than six months and so can you.

 

A Guide for Building Trust

​It starts with hiring the right people: individuals who behave like family, offering honest feedback with grace and compassion. In healthy teams, misunderstandings are met with openness, not blame or shame.

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But what if you inherit a dysfunctional team? Trust can be rebuilt with deliberate effort and faithful commitment. The first step is to love your team. Yes love. Invest your trust, your respect, and your belief in their abilities. They will feel it and eventually mirror it.

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Model vulnerability by admitting your own mistakes. This fosters openness. Establish transparency with weekly or biweekly check-ins where goals, responsibilities, and concerns are clarified. Recognize achievements, no matter how small, and celebrate progress often.

Consider adding conflict-resolution training, team retreats, and inclusive decision-making practices to strengthen the group’s morale and cohesion.

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But what about persistent issues with specific employees? Handle those with empathy, grace, and truth. Disruptive associates can be challenging, but behind their behavior might be personal struggles or unmet expectations. That’s when you need to put on your coaching hat, roll up your sleeves, and walk with them through their situation with care.

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Begin with one-on-one conversations to uncover frustrations and roadblocks. Offer coaching or even consider redefining their role. Yet, remember boundaries are essential. If the situation doesn’t improve, be prepared to assign more specific tasks or consider reassignments to help the team function effectively. In larger organizations, this applies equally to supervisors and team leads.

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Reviving a Struggling Team

When a team seems broken beyond repair, conduct a “trust audit.” Use anonymous surveys to discover where the breakdowns have occurred. In one of my most challenging leadership roles, I transformed a toxic team into a collaborative force by leaning on vulnerability, transparency, and consistent follow-through.

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Through team surveys and one-on-one conversations, I discovered that many employees felt micromanaged, undervalued, and unheard. Patterns of low morale, poor communication, frequent conflicts, and high turnover emerged.

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My first step was to acknowledge their feelings. Empathy is powerful. From there, I committed to consistency: open communication, personal accountability, and leading by example. Bit by bit, trust was rebuilt.

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Leading Virtual Teams with Trust

​In today’s work-from-home world, trust is even more critical. Within my ministry, I’ve adapted by prioritizing honesty, vulnerability, and consistency in leadership. I hold regular video check-ins, affirm team expertise, and foster open communication. I meet people where they are and lead with grace and love.

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When you invest trust, love, and respect in your team, it comes back multiplied and you’ll see it in the work they produce. In fact, hiring team members who are smarter than me has created a thriving culture of excellence and innovation. Trust transcends location, transcends roles, and ultimately strengthens results.

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Start Today

​Start building trust by investing deeply in respect, open dialogue, and mutual growth. Lead with humility. Hold regular meetings. Empower your team to operate with freedom and creativity. And above all, ask yourself: Do your associates feel empowered to speak and act freely? Your leadership—not your authority, not your title, but your example shapes your team’s shared success. When you lead with humility, you invite God to work through you and that is leadership that transforms.