Why Humility is the Most Important Trait of a Great Developer

As a full-stack developer with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve worked with hundreds of programmers across the stack on projects big and small. I‘ve collaborated with brilliant junior developers just out of school and seasoned tech leads and managers. And over my career, I‘ve observed one trait that consistently separates the good from the truly great developers: humility.

Now, when most people think of standout programmers, they often picture the arrogant genius pounding out code in isolation. We glorify the "10x engineer" who runs circles around everyone else. But in my experience, that stereotype couldn‘t be further from the truth. The developers who make the greatest impact are masters of their craft who pair their exceptional technical skills with a big dose of humility.

What is Humility in Software Development?

So what exactly does humility look like for a developer? At its core, it means recognizing that you are not the center of the universe and putting your team and the goals of the project ahead of your own ego. Humble programmers maintain a beginner‘s mindset, continuously learning and seeking feedback however experienced they become. They uplift and learn from teammates rather than competing against them. And above all, they admit when they are wrong and learn from mistakes.

This is contrasted with arrogance – an overinflated sense of one‘s own importance and abilities. Arrogant developers believe they have all the answers. They get defensive when their ideas are challenged. They dismiss the opinions of others. Unchecked ego prevents them from learning, collaborating, and doing what‘s best for the software.

You might be thinking "sure, humility is a nice to have, but it‘s really technical skills that matter most." But the data tells a different story. Numerous studies have shown humility is one of the most important predictors of individual and team success:

• A 2013 study in Administrative Science Quarterly found that humble individuals tend to outperform arrogant ones and are more effective leaders.
• A 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychology demonstrated that humility promotes learning, performance, and a growth mindset.
• Google‘s Project Aristotle study on team performance revealed that the most successful teams have one thing in common: psychological safety, which requires individual humility to admit mistakes and speak up.

So let‘s examine some of the key ways humility powers great developers and teams.

The Humble Expert

Some of the most renowned experts in computer science are also the most humble. Take Donald Knuth, author of the seminal work The Art of Computer Programming. Despite his groundbreaking accomplishments, Knuth maintains an approachable demeanor, readily admitting what he doesn‘t know and crediting his discoveries to collaboration and building on the work of others.

As Knuth himself said, "I am worried that algorithms are getting too prominent in the world…There is an aura of magic about algorithms to many people, and we‘ve seen throughout history that this is a dangerous situation." Knuth recognizes the limits of his own field and readily points out its flaws.

Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux and Git, is another example of a humble expert. Despite being one of the most impactful programmers in history, he focuses not on his own brilliance but on facilitating collaboration in the open source community. On his decision to share Linux publicly, Torvalds said, "I‘ve never been bothered about sharing my programs, so making it available just made sense."

In contrast, there are numerous examples of arrogant programmers causing major problems:

• Apple had to let go of their lead developer on the original Macintosh team because his explosive temper and controlling behavior made collaboration impossible, setting the project back significantly.
• A former Microsoft engineer infamously broke production builds right before a Windows release because he refused to follow testing processes, declaring his own code infallible.
• Therac-25, a radiation therapy machine, massively overdosed patients because its software developer overrode safety controls, believing he knew better than his teammates and industry guidelines. Several patients died as a result.

Humility becomes even more important as developers gain seniority and take on lead and management roles. The best leaders readily admit their own shortcomings, take responsibility for failures, and make space for others to contribute. They lead by serving their teams, not by feeding their egos.

How Humility Powers Great Development

So what does humility actually look like in the day-to-day life of a software developer? Let‘s examine some key areas:

Code Reviews

Humble programmers embrace code reviews as a chance to have an extra set of eyes improve their work. They welcome feedback and proactively ask, "what could I do better here?" If their code doesn‘t pass the review, they don‘t get upset or complain that the reviewer doesn‘t appreciate their genius. They make the requested changes, recognizing that it takes a team to create great software.

When reviewing others‘ code, they offer constructive feedback while recognizing the coder likely did their best within time and knowledge constraints. They treat it as a teachable moment and make requests, not demands. Reviews become a positive experience of collective improvement rather than a demoralizing battle of egos.

Debugging

Humble programmers know they write bugs like anyone else. When their code doesn‘t work, their first instinct isn‘t to blame the compiler, the framework, or their teammates. They know the problem likely lies in their own logic and they meticulously debug, following the evidence where it leads. If they‘ve been banging their heads against the problem for hours, they readily pull in another developer for a second opinion. The goal is to squash the bug, not protect their pride.

When debugging others‘ code, they don‘t criticize or boast about how they would have done it better. They empathize with the original developer, knowing they easily could have made the same mistake in the moment. Debugging is treated as a learning opportunity for everyone involved.

Project Planning

Humble developers know that no plan survives first contact with the code. They don‘t get attached to their initial solutions, insisting that the team follow their architectural vision. As requirements evolve and technical challenges arise, they update their plans accordingly, focusing not on being right but on delivering the best possible product.

When it comes to estimating, they know that the whole team needs to weigh in to get an accurate assessment. They don‘t assume their initial guesses are perfect. When things inevitably take longer than expected, they learn from it to make future estimates better rather than stubbornly insisting the problem was someone else not executing to their vision.

Continuous Learning

The best developers, no matter how experienced, know they always have more to learn. They dedicate time to playing with new languages and frameworks, reading technical blogs, and watching conference talks. Humble programmers regularly seek out more advanced developers to learn from, even if it means feeling like a novice again. Their identities aren‘t threatened by what they don‘t know – that‘s the fun part!

This contrasts with arrogant developers stuck in their ways who believe the tools and practices they already know are the only right way to do things. They aren‘t interested in new approaches and dismiss ideas from younger teammates. Their skills grow stale and they struggle to keep up in a fast-moving field.

Cultivating Humility as a Developer

Convinced of the critical importance of humility in programming but not sure how to cultivate it? Here are some concrete practices:

1. Ask for feedback early and often. At the end of meetings, code reviews, and projects, explicitly ask your teammates, "What could I have done better? How can I improve?"

2. Publicly admit mistakes. When you make an error (and you will!), tell your team what happened and what you learned. Invite them to give you constructive feedback and share any similar experiences. This normalizes imperfection and growth.

3. Give others the spotlight. Practice passing around credit for successes and creating space for more junior developers to lead and share their knowledge. If praised individually, call out how it was a team effort.

4. Assume positive intent. When debugging or reviewing code, start by believing your teammates did the best they could with the information they had at the time. Be empathetic and approach issues with curiosity rather than criticism.

5. Create space for diverse perspectives. Instead of debating to prove your idea is best, ask questions to learn from others‘ viewpoints. Practice saying, "I hadn‘t considered that, tell me more." Actively solicit opinions from quieter teammates.

6. Embrace "I don‘t know – let‘s find out!" When you get a question you‘re not sure about, resist the urge to fake an authoritative answer. Get excited about researching and learning something new alongside your teammate.

7. Keep a growth mindset. Add "yet" to assessments of your abilities. "I haven‘t learned Docker yet." Reflect on how far your skills have come rather than berating yourself for what you still need to learn.

Humility is like a muscle – you have to exercise it regularly for it to grow stronger. Pick one of these practices to focus on each week and notice how it impacts your interactions with your team.

The Power of Humble Programmers

In a field that lionizes the "brilliant jerk", humility can seem like an odd thing to prioritize. Won‘t you just get steamrolled by the arrogant go-getters? But as the data shows, it‘s the humble programmers who rise to the top over the long run by enabling themselves and their teams to continuously learn, adapt, and collectively achieve results.

Edmond Lau, author of The Effective Engineer, puts it well: "The more experience I gain as an engineer, the more I realize how important it is to be humble and to keep an open mind. Humility, I‘ve learned, is one of the most powerful traits to develop."

As you progress in your development career, you‘ll face ever more complex technical and people problems that require collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders. Humility – knowing you don‘t have all the answers, being open to new ideas, uplifting teammates, and embracing continuous growth – is the key to navigating these challenges and becoming the kind of developer and leader everyone wants to work with.

So go forward with confidence in your abilities, while keeping your ego firmly in check. Admit when you‘re wrong, give others the spotlight, assume positive intent, and never stop learning. Stay humble, and amazing things will follow.