Queen Rania calls for humility in leadership

Queen Rania of Jordan has called for humility in leadership during her keynote address at the ET NOW Global Business Summit in India.

She described humility as essential in addressing shared global challenges.

She said, “When you accept that you don’t know everything, you build differently. You design systems that can scale without breaking, and reach people who would otherwise be left out. Humility keeps resilience and human dignity at the centre of progress and prevents them from becoming trade-offs.

“Too often, global conversations are shaped by the loudest or most powerful voices. Yet many of the consequences of those decisions will be felt most strongly by those who can least afford the fallout – here, in the Global South. We need all our voices. All our perspectives. Not just in business and technology, but in the way we pursue our destiny as fellow human beings.”

Photo: Royal Hashemite Court

She added that despite the global mood of “anticipation with unease”, much of the world was continuing to race ahead without stopping to see what exactly they were racing towards. “We see it in companies rushing to deploy AI without considering the potential impact… in institutions that filter out opposing or cautionary perspectives… and in political systems that elevate popularity over principles.”

She then suggested that leaders guide progress with humility. “It’s true, humility is a quiet virtue. It doesn’t announce itself. But I see it as a core leadership value in today’s world – not as hesitation or self-doubt, but as honesty about our limitations. To understand humility, consider its inverse: Overconfidence. Arrogance. An inflated sense of one’s abilities. And the failure to reflect, regroup, and accept shortcomings. In a culture that celebrates certainty and speed, that question can feel uncomfortable. But doubt is a survival skill. It reminds us to seek out alternative solutions, consider every angle, and stay open to other opinions.”