The Paradoxical Power of Humility

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most people would agree that Jesus Christ was the quintessential example of humility. Robert Matera remarked, "Jesus made Himself of no reputation, he did not show off or come to earth with all His power and glory."

This humble attitude was also embraced by great minds throughout history, from Aristotle to Newton to Einstein to Gandhi. 

Jim Collins in his classic book, Good to Great, introduced the concept of "Level 5 Leadership." Collins found in his research that great companies are led by what he calls "Level 5 Leaders." Level 5 Leaders combine the paradoxical traits of deep humility and fierce resolve. On the humility side, Level 5 Leaders don’t seek success for their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the team and organization can thrive. They share credit for success, and they’re the first to accept blame for mistakes.

The leadership quality of humility is fraught with paradox. To be a leader one must have confidence, which stands in contrast to humility.  Exercising leadership is an act of confidence that requires faith that you are just the right person to be intervening in that particular moment. It also requires humility to know that you will not succeed unless you genuinely create space for others to lead as well, and especially to know when you are not the right person to intervene. Your healthy measure of humility will enable you to step back so others can step up which makes the whole organization better.

In the world of high finance, Warren Buffet, one of the world's richest men and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, once told shareholders, "We've long felt that the only value of stock forecasters is to make fortune tellers look good. Even now, Charlie [Munger] and I continue to believe that short term market forecasts are poison and should be locked up in a safe place, away from children and also from grown-ups who behave in the market like children."

Buffet and Munger understood that humility is essential to investment success--as it is to so much else in our lives.

In my humble opinion, humility doesn't mean selling yourself short or not exercising your talents to the fullest. It means making an honest appraisal of the limited knowledge, experience and understanding that we all bring to life. 

 
It means having a realistic perspective, understanding that -- whatever our particular talents--we are not the center of the universe (See the Pale Blue Dot speech excerpt below). "We are all worms," Winston Churchill said. "But I do believe I am a glow-worm."
 
Humility is becoming. It wears well. Truly confident people don't need to brag or boast. It's much more attractive for people to discover your many charms.

Secure individuals don't lord their status over others. Even if you are truly one-in-a-million kind of guy or gal, in a world of 7.8 billion people that means there are thousands more just like you.

A companionable friend or dinner guest knows better topics of conversation than just himself. "There are two types of people in this world observed Frederick L. Collins, "Those who come into the room and say, "Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are!'"

Could anyone really prefer spending time with the former?

A modest attitude also demonstrates maturity. "Let us be humble," said Jawaharlal Nehru. "Let us think that the truth may not perhaps be entirely with us."

Live long enough and you're likely to learn that life is one long lesson in humility. Things don't always turn out like we planned over even imagined.

Our happiness is determined, in large part, by how we handle these inevitable surprises. Because uncertainty will always be with us. Perhaps that is why Pulitzer Prize--winning columnist George Will once described his idea of heaven as "infinite knowing."

Recognizing the limits of our knowledge is invaluable, whether we're analyzing problems, figuring out relationships--or even puzzling over the big existential questions. Why are we here? Where did we come from? What is it all about?

Scientists, philosophers, and theologians have struggled with these for thousands of years. And still wrestle with them today.

As Nobel Prize-winning particle physicist Leon Lederman wryly observed, "the universe is the answer. What we still don't know is the question."

 

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, poet and science communicator. In his famous Pale Blue Dot speech given at Cornell University in 1994, Sagan asserted,

 

"It It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of the pale blue dot which shows the Earth as a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.

 

The ceaseless canvas of the universe - adorned with hundreds of billions of galaxies, distant planets and brilliant stars - provides the ultimate lesson in humility. 

 

To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known."

Click here to see a 3-minute video of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot presentation.

Click here to learn more about "Level 5 Leadership." (3-min read.)

 

Stay hungry and humble,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how to develop your organization's culture, employee engagement and leadership capability? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, title companies, wealth management firms, third-party maintenance companies, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.