The Humble CEO

David Brooks points to research indicating that charismatic, forceful leaders with excessive self-confidence tend to produce volatile company performances. “These leaders swing for the home run and sometimes end up striking out.” Instead, Brooks imagines another model of corporate leadership based on humility: the “humble hound leader,” who is more thoughtful, deliberate and careful — and spends a lot of time on metacognition. “If this leadership style were more widely admired, the country could have spared itself a ton of grief,” writes Brooks.