Leadership Altitude and the Value of Humility: A Lesson from the Hot Air Balloon
Leadership Altitude and the Value of Humility
Why walking in humility pays long-term dividends—even when you're floating 30 feet off the ground.
A Short Story That Hits Close to Home
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost.
He lowered his altitude and saw a woman on the ground.
“Excuse me,” he shouted. “Can you help me? I promised a friend I’d meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”
The woman replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon hovering about 30 feet above the ground, between 40- and 41-degrees north latitude, and between 59- and 60-degrees west longitude.”
“You must be a science teacher,” said the balloonist.
“I am,” she replied. “How did you know?”
“Well,” he said, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with it. And the fact is, I’m still lost. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip.”
She paused.
“You must be in management.”
“I am,” he replied. “But how did you know?”
“Well,” she said, “you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You’ve risen to where you are with a lot of hot air. You made a promise with no idea how to keep it, and you expect people below to fix it for you. Now you're in the same place you were before—but somehow it’s my fault.”
Why This Story Stuck With Me
I’ve carried this parable with me for years. It’s funny, yes, but also a subtle reminder of how easy it is to lead from assumption, ego, or urgency.
We often say leaders should “look ahead,” “stay above the fray,” or “rise above the details.” But leadership isn’t about hovering over the team and barking coordinates. It’s about knowing when to come down to earth.
Humility in leadership isn't about being passive. It’s about pausing before presuming, asking before assigning, and considering others' perspectives—even when you're under pressure to deliver.
Grace Is a Competitive Advantage
In my own experience—from managing global teams to advising small project management firms—I’ve seen how extending grace and walking in humility make you more effective. Not just more liked. More effective.
You make better decisions with more input.
You build trust that outlasts timelines and org charts.
You model behavior that scales across teams, especially in CEAPM firms where distributed teams must act with aligned intent.
If you want teams to take initiative, own outcomes, and act with maturity, it starts with leaders who do the same—especially when they’re “in the balloon.”
A Final Thought for Leaders
No matter your title, your P&L size, or your organizational altitude—walk in humility.
Decisions are rarely made with full context. Situations often unfold in ways we couldn’t predict. But humility helps you leave room for what you might not see yet.
And in the long run, that’s what builds scalable, resilient, and trusted leadership.
These aren’t AI ramblings — promise. Learn more about Hancock Consulting
