????這個爭論早已司空見慣：最杰出的領袖到底是散發著謙遜的光輝，并以此引領眾人，還是自命不凡到對他人和外界都不屑一顧的地步？

????在對全球創業者進行調查的過程中，我和我的合作作者發現，真正杰出的領袖往往能在舍我其誰的自信中搭配恰如其分的謙遜。

????走這樣的鋼絲需要很好的平衡技巧，而最終能否實現平衡就來自于對以下三個問題的回答，每個創業者都需要問自己一遍：道路是否正確？所說所想是否忠于自我？公司處在哪個演化階段？

????創業道路是否正確？事業開創者必須有引領眾人的自信，如果他們試圖顛覆現有格局，那就更是如此。就像宜家（Ikea）把精心設計的家具帶給普羅大眾，優衣庫（Uniqlo）在服裝行業進行同樣的革命，Facebook則從大學的聚會項目發展成全球性的社交網絡，當公司真正地突破傳統界限時，他們需要一個信念堅定（對，有時甚至是自負和自大）的掌舵人，相信自己是走在正確的道路上。但真正的問題是：他們是否確實選擇了正確的道路？

????如果大功告成，人們自會見風使舵，奉承領袖當年的堅定不移現在回想起來是多么的“目光遠大”，但卻絕口不提具體策略和他的缺點。而一旦公司的表現差強人意，人們就會冷嘲熱諷，說什么：“做事不錯做人太差”。話雖如此，真正杰出的領袖恃才傲物的同時依舊能夠保持一份謙遜，也能不忘在艱難時日里仔細應對?，F在誰還記得播客網站Odeo是Twitter的前身呢？

????所說所想是否忠于自我？高效的領袖經常自我拷問，也會被自我懷疑所困擾。但最頂尖的人物能迅速堅定信念，停止無謂的自我懷疑。他們相信自己的事業值得關注、值得嘗試，其重要性甚至可以達到改變人們行動和思考方式的地步。不出所料，我們的研究發現，最杰出的創業者都不懼怕表達自己內心的想法。他們并不完美，但他們總能讓別人了解自己的立場，展現真正的自我。他們會用極富感染力的故事，而不是幻燈片和復雜的計劃來打動人。他們充沛的自信會讓人心馳神往，甚至不知所措，但你也許會發覺自己也已經被他們的想法深深打動。

????公司處在哪個階段？信念和謙遜的平衡在整個創業歷程中都是不可或缺的，但在兩個關鍵節點至為重要。第一點是在公司從創始演變到成長階段，第二點是從規模擴張階段轉變到業務擴張階段，此時公司必須重塑自我，或者拓寬其核心產品或服務范圍，以求得新的增長。比如，谷歌(Google) 就從搜索引擎演變成包羅萬象的平臺公司，而蔻馳公司（Coach）則從單一的手袋生產發展到提供全方位的生活時尚解決方案。所有公司都經歷過相同的成長階段或者成長周期，開始是概念的驗證，如果成功的話，就會實現首次快速增長。但如果創業者試圖延續公司的成長，但卻不想在文化和愿景方面做些調整，大多數時候他們會一頭碰壁，或者至少遭遇挫折。

????在這一階段，公司通常需要不同的技能和流程，領袖則要放下身段，面對現實，承認改變的必要性。他們必須問自己：“哪些東西對公司來說是核心的，不容更改，哪些又是不觸及根本、而又亟待改變的？”更難的問題可能是：“我是否具備所需的技能，還是應該引進新人？”

????事實上，很少有人像邁克爾?戴爾和維珍集團創始人理查德?布蘭森那樣全能，很多時候，領袖都需要依靠其它高管來查漏補缺，他們自己則專注于展望未來，開拓愿景。

????It's a common debate: Do the very best leaders exude -- and lead with -- humility, or are they self-absorbed to the exclusion of everything and everyone else?

????In the course of conducting research of entrepreneurs across the globe, my co-authors and I found that most exceptional leaders tend to balance their convictions with a healthy dose of humility.

????Walking this tightrope calls for careful balance, and much of that equilibrium comes down to three questions all entrepreneurs must ask themselves: Are they right? Are they true to what they say and feel? What stage or evolution is their company at?

????Are they right?

????Business-builders need to lead with conviction, especially if they are trying to be disruptive. When companies are really pushing boundaries -- think Ikea democratizing well-designed furniture, or Uniqlo doing a parallel effort in clothing, or Facebook (FB) morphing from college meet-up project to global social network -- they need a leader at the helm who has the conviction (and yes, sometimes the ego and arrogance), to know he or she is right about something. The big question is: Are they actually right?

????If the business succeeds, people are quick to be revisionist and recall a leader's conviction as "visionary" and may be more forgiving of his or her strategies and flaws. If the company doesn't live up to expectations, people tend to recollect a leader's certainty in less kind terms, or to say something along the lines of "Great-leader-Lousy-Human-Being." With that said, the very best leaders can celebrate their progress while retaining the humility and good sense to shift gears when things aren't going well. After all, how many of us still remember Odeo as the precursor to Twitter?

????Are they true to what they say and feel?

????The most effective leaders constantly question themselves while wrestling with self-doubt. But the best of the best swiftly resolve to suspend their own disbelief. They believe what they are doing is worth caring for, worth attempting, and is important enough that it might actually change the way people act and think.

????Our research found, not surprisingly, that the best business builders were comfortable with genuinely expressing themselves. They weren't perfect, but you always knew where they stood and who they were. They weren't pitching you with slides and complex plans, but rather with an infectious story. You may have felt a little put off or even overwhelmed by the degree of self-confidence in the room, but you might also have found yourself falling in love with the ideas, too.

????What stage is the company at?

????Balancing conviction with humility is essential throughout the business-building journey, but it matters most at two key points. The first is when a company evolves from the founding to the growth stage, and the second is when it moves from the scaling stage to an extending stage -- that point where the business needs to either reinvent itself or broaden its core offerings for the sake of new growth. For example, Google (GOOG) evolved from a search company to an all-encompassing platform company, and Coach (COH) went from making handbags to offering consumers a complete lifestyle solution.

????All companies pass through common growth phases or cycles that begin with getting a proof-of-concept followed by -- in a successful scenario -- a first period of rapid growth. Most founders hit a wall or at least speed bump when they are looking to grow their company without making some tradeoffs in culture or vision.

????At this stage, a company often requires different skills and processes -- and leaders need to exercise the humility and pragmatism to acknowledge this. They must ask themselves, "What are the things about this company that are core and incorruptible, and which elements are less sacred and need to change?" Another key question to ask: "Do I have the skills to do it myself, or should I bring in a different person?"

????Truth is, there are very few Michael Dells and Richard Bransons out there, and in many cases, these leaders relied on other executives to fill gaps while they carried the broader vision forward.