In this episode of "The Humble Throne," Todd Robatin delves into the power of humble teams. Discover how greatness is built by quiet collaborators, not loud individuals. Explore the importance of shared power, mutual respect, and emotional availability in creating teams that not only work well together but also shape each other's purpose. Learn how humble teams make a big impact by building belonging and community, and why contribution matters more than credit.

Transcript:

Welcome back to the Humble Throne, where leadership doesn't live in titles, but in trust. I'm Todd Robatin, and today we explore something sacred, the power of humble teams. Because greatness isn't built by loud individuals, it's built by quiet collaborators. This is episode seven, Humble Teams, Big Impact. Let me ask you something. When did team culture become about competition instead of connection? We've been sold this idea that the strongest teams are the ones with the sharpest performers. But I think the strongest teams are really the ones with the softest edges. Teams where voices echo, not clash. Where contribution matters more than credit. Where leaders share the throne. You see, humble teams aren't passive. They're powerful. But their strength is shaped by mutual respect, emotional availability, shared values, and a culture that celebrates contribution over control. These teams don't just work well together, they work well on each other. They shape each other's thinking, soften each other's blind spots, and sharpen each other's purpose. You know, a few years ago, I sat in on a team retreat. It was not a fancy venue, no keynote speaker, but just a circle of chairs, a whiteboard, a few markers, and a question at the top of the board that said, what does trust look like here? And one by one, people shared their stories, not statistics. Moments when someone stepped in quietly. Moments when someone stepped back gracefully. Moments when someone said, I've got you and meant it. And that team didn't leave with a new strategy, but they left with a new heartbeat for their purpose and existence. A similar nonprofit that I worked with, they had a small team, scrappy budget, but a big mission. They didn't have a flashy org chart or elaborate hierarchy, but what they did have was shared ownership. Everyone understood their role. But more importantly, everyone felt trusted. They made decisions by asking, what serves the mission, not just me? And their impact? Well, it's scaled faster than teams three times their size because humility kept ego out of the strategy room. Let's talk about this idea of shared power. Because in humble teams, power, it's not a pie. It's more like a potluck where everyone brings something, everyone shares something, and no one leaves hungry. Shared power means that decisions are made with others, not for others. Credit, it's distributed, not hoarded. And feedback, it flows freely without fear. You see, it's not about flattening leadership. That doesn't really get you anywhere either. But it's about deepening it in respect and purpose. And let's pause here for a moment. Think about your team, whether it's your workplace, your family, your community, your friend group. Ask yourself these questions. Who in our team feels safe to speak up? who gets celebrated and who gets overlooked. What stories are being told about success and how are we handling that? Because you see, humble teams, don't just build results. They build belonging and community. Humble teams make a big impact because they're rooted in care, not control. They build safety. They practice feedback that's honest. They don't compete for a throne. They build one together. Recently, a leader came up to me and they were frustrated beyond measure. His team was completely disengaged. He had tried incentives, deadlines, even pep talks. But the more we talked, we found the issue wasn't really motivation. His team had that. His issue was recognition. His team didn't feel seen. They felt managed, not mentored. And so he made one change. Every Friday, he wrote an individual email, just one, to someone who had quietly made a difference that week on his team. And six months later, retention was up. Morale was up. And he texted me and he said, I finally feel like I'm leading again. and that we actually are making a difference. And with that, here are today's humble truths. Number one, a humble team is stronger than a brilliant ego. They don't need a solo hero, they build shared momentum that makes the difference between burnout and breakthrough. Number two, trust isn't built through hierarchy, it's built through humility. When leaders admit mistakes, ask for feedback, and show up vulnerably, they create psychological safety. And when teammates feel safe, they're willing to take risks, speak up, grow, collaborate, and do things together as a team instead of independently in fear. And number three, contribution is greater than credit, always. In Humble Teams, the question isn't who did it, it's did it move us forward? Because credit is fleeting, but contribution is foundational for long-term impact. And let's go deeper here with a few questions to reflect with this week. And this might take a little bit to walk through. But ask yourself these questions. What does your team culture reward? Volume or value? Because how you answer that question will determine your impact on each other, your clients, and the world. Who's quietly leading on your team without any recognition? And how can you recognize them? in the future. How can you celebrate collaboration more than performance in a way that everyone feels seen and appreciated? What's one small ritual you can start to build trust right now with everyone in your circle of influence? And the last one, how do you respond when someone disagrees with you? Do you defend or do you listen? Now, this isn't an easy process to reflect. Build and implement a plan and then consistently be present in humility to accept the answers that are true and raw. But it's in something that changes the trajectory of your team, your community, your family, and ultimately you too. It changes your trajectory from just checking things off of a list every single day to looking back and understanding what you've done and how you can grow personally so you can grow together on a bigger and grander scale. Next week, we'll explore the respect versus fear paradigm. We're gonna have an emotionally intelligent reflection on why the most enduring leaders earn loyalty - not submission, and how humility outlasts intimidation over time. But for today, remember this, no throne holds its shape without the people who built it and those that sustain it. Thanks for sitting with me today on the humble throne.

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