Building success through humility can be immensely rewarding

Kenya: Humility is one of the greatest virtues in career building. Unfortunately, it is also among the most rare. In many cases, people exhibit arrogance, pride and look down upon others, thinking they are above all and sundry. Humble people are known for many things. They have ‘big hearts’ and are likely to listen more and accommodate diversity.

They also have a higher appreciation of life’s virtues such as hard work, patience and perseverance. They tend to do well in many aspects of human behaviour. Humble people generally make better leaders. It is well known that great leaders are also successful in their careers and humility is considered a great pathway to success in nearly all aspects of life.

In an increasingly individualistic and materialistic world, it takes great effort to remain humble. On many occasions, we read reports of certain individuals who are down-to-earth and simple, but this tends to be an exception rather than the rule. Everyone can cultivate a humble demeanor through learning and practice. You must however start by undertaking a personal self-evaluation, followed by some solid declarations for change.

 You must learn to appreciate people and their weaknesses. Desist from measuring people by your own personal and biased yardstick. People will always perceive things differently, behave and react differently to different things. That does not mean there is something wrong with them. If you are in a position of authority, take it upon yourself to help people leverage on their strengths rather than simply pulling them down based on their perceived weaknesses.

Learn to look at life with a long-term view. This helps build the patience necessary to embrace humility. In some instances, humble people may be misinterpreted as slow, not dynamic or foolish.

Communication flaws

On the contrary, their long-term view presents a different picture that many people cannot see. Learn to listen to everyone irrespective of their position or communication flaws. In this way, you will develop the attitude that everyone deserves a chance.

Learn to accept criticism, accept mistakes and move on. Proud people dig in to justify their positions. Humble people know better. The humble are not worried by badmouthing from any quarters. They do not worry themselves sick over their mistakes.

This does not mean they are careless. It means they are humble enough to know they are not immune to mistakes. Ensure you are a continuous learner. The proud and the arrogant are always in competition to prove they are better than others while humble ones appreciate that learning leads to value addition at work, on the lives of others and the world at large.

Avoid useless conflicts and fights in the workplace. The world is not exactly just. There will be times when you feel deprived but then who doesn’t face such times every once in a while? Instead, develop a mature and balanced reaction to such situations.

Remember good things always come to those who wait, not to those who fight blindly. As you work on developing humility, remember that you are not doing it for others. While others may ultimately develop, the biggest winner will be your career life.

-The writer is a human resources specialist at Peoplelink Consultants Ltd. Email: goretti@peoplelink.co.ke