Staff Room Reads
Reviewed by Professionals for Professionals
SAfE’s School Improvement Advisor, Richard Blackmore, shares his thoughts on Peter A. Schein and Edgar Schein’s book
‘Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust’
Humble Leadership argues that in today’s fast‑moving, complex world, traditional hierarchical leadership models are increasingly ineffective. Instead, the authors propose a model of leadership built around relationships, openness, and trust. It is what they call “humble leadership.”
The Scheins distinguish several “levels” of interpersonal relationships in organisations. The authors argue that humbler forms of leadership push toward greater flexibility, better communication and faster adaptation. A central idea is “personising” relationships: recognizing people as whole human beings not merely roles or functions. This doesn’t mean oversharing but being willing to see and relate to another’s full self.
They introduce the idea that leadership humility must be situational: leaders need to shift among different relational modes depending on context. Sometimes more directive styles are needed; sometimes more listening, more openness. Being humble doesn’t mean passive, but being real, adaptive, aware of one’s limitations.
To make humble leadership operative, organisations need cultures that support psychological safety, where people feel safe admitting mistakes, sharing doubts and raising concerns without fear. The authors use case studies showing how culture shifts (towards more trust) lead to better responsiveness, better innovation and fewer hidden mistakes.
Hierarchies per se are not always bad, but they come with conventions that may suppress openness. Also, reward systems, evaluation models and organisational structure can reinforce transactional behaviour. Unless consciously addressed, these can undermine humble leadership.
Schein and Schein’s Humble Leadership offers a vision and a roadmap: move away from leadership as command‑and‑control toward leadership as relational, open and trustful. The key is not simply changing structures, but nurturing relationships and norms, being willing to be vulnerable and enabling people at all levels to contribute, speak up and learn.
