What happens when you mix Humble Fools and Competent Jerks in one team?
Well, it may be a recipe for disaster, OR it may also give the Competent Jerk the opportunity to learn some humility and the Humble fool a chance to develop new skills.
It depends a lot on how leadership engages to enhance and align the team dynamic.
And understanding what types of followers you have can help.
There are several different models you can use.
In a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers introduced the “humility-competence model.” This model is another way to examine followership and categorizes workplace employees into four distinct archetypes.
The model uses two variables – levels of humility and competence.
These archetypes offer a nuanced understanding of how these traits interact to shape team dynamics, collaboration, and overall productivity in organizational settings.
Let’s start with the basics.
1. The Humble Star
At the heart of the humility-competence model are the “humble stars.” These individuals possess a rare blend of high competence and genuine humility. They excel in their respective fields while remaining modest about their accomplishments. Humble stars are known for their openness to feedback, willingness to share credit with team members, and commitment to personal and professional growth.
For instance, consider a project manager who consistently delivers outstanding results while actively seeking input from their team members. This individual not only acknowledges their own limitations but also fosters an environment where others feel valued and encouraged to contribute. Research indicates that humble stars are not only highly respected but also enjoy strong interpersonal relationships within their teams, which significantly enhances overall team performance.
“We should emphasize humility to create a workplace environment that facilitates communication. The humble acknowledgment of own limitations makes humble stars less threatening to colleagues,” the researchers write, highlighting the pivotal role of humility in promoting effective team dynamics.
2. The Humble Fool
In stark contrast to humble stars are the “humble fools.” These individuals exhibit high levels of humility but lack the necessary skills or expertise to perform effectively in their roles. Despite their shortcomings, humble fools are characterized by their eagerness to learn, openness to feedback, and willingness to support their colleagues.
Imagine a junior developer who, despite lacking technical proficiency, actively seeks mentorship from more experienced team members and consistently demonstrates a positive attitude towards team goals. While humble fools may not contribute significantly in terms of technical expertise, their ability to foster a supportive team environment and encourage open communication can prove invaluable in enhancing team cohesion and morale.
“Having a humble character may compensate for a lack of competence in interpersonal interactions. Humble individuals make team members feel secure to voice ideas and suggestions, without worrying about receiving disrespectful remarks,” the researchers suggest, underscoring the role of humility in creating psychologically safe workplace environments.
3. The Competent Jerk
Moving to the other end of the spectrum, we encounter the “competent jerks.” These individuals are highly competent in their roles but lack humility, often displaying arrogance, dismissiveness, and a tendency to undermine their colleagues’ contributions. Despite their abrasive personalities, competent jerks are valued for their technical prowess and ability to achieve tangible results.
Consider a senior engineer who consistently delivers high-quality work but alienates team members with their condescending attitude and reluctance to consider alternative viewpoints. While competent jerks may excel in driving performance metrics, their behavior can create significant friction within teams, ultimately impacting overall morale and team cohesion.
“Working with people who are not humble may be less enjoyable. However, when an arrogant colleague has competence to offer, they will improve team performance,” the researchers explain, highlighting the complex interplay between competence and humility in influencing team dynamics.
4. The Incompetent Jerk
Finally, the “incompetent jerks” represent the archetype characterized by low levels of both competence and humility. These individuals struggle to perform their roles effectively, often resist feedback, and contribute to a toxic work environment through their arrogance and inability to acknowledge their limitations.
Imagine a team leader who consistently fails to meet project deadlines, disregards team input, and deflects responsibility for their shortcomings. Incompetent jerks not only hinder team productivity but also erode trust and cooperation among team members, making them the least preferred archetype in both personal and professional contexts.
Unfortunately, sometimes you need to remove a person who is negatively impacting the team. Giving an Incompetent Jerk an opportunity to improve their productivity will not improve how the team feels.
And improving their people skills is a long term endeavor.
That is not to say you should automatically jump to fire someone like this. You may need to find our what is going with them that is leading to the negativity and bad social interactions. It may be something that you can help improve.
But, ultimately, it is your job as a leader to protect your team and the organization.
Conclusion
According to the original journal article “The humility-competence model emphasizes the importance of balancing these traits within teams to optimize performance and foster a respectful work environment.”
I would take it one step further.
From a followership perspective, this model can be integrated into a system that helps analyze and judge the people in an organization and determine best fit. More importantly, it provides both leaders and followers another tool they can use in how they discuss their teamwork.
By understanding and leveraging the humility-competence model, organizations can cultivate diverse teams where each archetype contributes unique strengths and perspectives.
And businesses that use this and other followership models can prioritize and improve team-building practices.
By promoting a healthy balance of competence and humility, leaders can also create an evironment which is rich with strategic followers who work together effectively.
While humble stars are universally valued for their ability to inspire trust and collaboration, competent jerks may offer valuable technical expertise despite their challenging interpersonal traits.
Ultimately, embracing and balancing these traits can lead to more productive, respectful, and successful workplace environments.
Let’s chat if you feel like you could use some help fostering strategic followership on your teams. You can set a meeting with me here.
Link to the research article: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/10/5969
