From the Desk of Paul:

Humility is more than just the trait of being unassuming; the true definition of humility is achieving what you desire without earning praise. It goes beyond modesty, and it may be the most powerful leadership style of them all, because it gives you the energy to learn from every situation.  Humility is a difficult trait to acquire. To be humble means to recognize your own flaws, and that’s not easy. Everyone likes to believe he or she is perfect! But how can business leaders strive for humility and wisdom at the same time?

Do you think it’s possible to be both humble and wise? What does humility look like in a competitive workplace? How can you use your experience to be more introspective?

In his article, "A Humble Man is the Most Powerful," Oxford Academic Mirjam Neelen points out that humility is often confused with low self-esteem.” Looking at it another way, though, do you think a humble person believes less of himself? Where do you see humility demonstrated at work?

Being humble means recognizing your weaknesses, but just because you know you can be better doesn’t mean you should let yourself off the hook. The workplace is constantly changing— if you don’t update your mindset and skills accordingly, these changes will pass you by.  It is often in some of the wisest of people in the workplace that we see a great deal of humility.  These people put more value on how capable they can be, how knowledgeable they can be and what value they can provide as opposed to putting emphasis on how others feel about them.  For them, it’s about the results and not so much about how we, or others, feel about the person producing the results.

Yes, it’s perfectly possible to be both humble and wise. Wisdom is the application of your experiences and humility the value you hold them at.  Look for wisdom and you will often find humility!

As always, if you have questions or comments that you would like for me to address, please contact me at pmeadows@itgroupva.com.

Paul Meadows,
President/CEO