Why Humility Delivers More Results Than Arrogance
Arrogance holds you back. Humility propels you forward.
Courage and humility:
You’d be wrong if you said humility is kin to fear.
Courage is the willingness and ability to fail and try again.
Arrogance needs to appear perfect so it plays it safe. It won’t try unless success is certain. Arrogance fears and rejects failure.
Humility accepts responsible failure and keeps going.
Wisdom and humility:
The arrogant become fools.
Arrogance learns slowly, if at all. It won’t accept advice or guidance from others because it believes it already knows best.
Learning is hard for arrogance.
Arrogance knows. Humility knows there’s more to know.
Humility learns from failure, improves, and gains insight. Arrogance, on the other hand, repeats ineffective behaviors and blames others for failure.
Humility learns because it listens. Arrogance despises listening.
Arrogance points fingers.
Humility takes responsibility and grows.
There is no growth apart from taking responsibility.
Humility and results:
Humility respects and appreciates others. Teams work hard for leaders who appreciate their hard work.
Humility connects with others and honors their talent.
Arrogance stands aloof and feels threatened when others shine.
Five practices of humility:
- Learning.
- Listening.
- Courage.
- Connection.
- Responsibility.
Which of the five practices of humility are most relevant to you?
How are courage, learning, and results connected to humility?
Is there a way for a person conducting an interview to identify the quality of appropriate humility in a candidate? How does one express his or her humility in the formats and context of pursuing a job or promotion?
It seems to me the most important thing is to demonstrate to the interviewer how the interviewee can draw another interviewee out as a way to demonstrate the appropriate humility for leading a team. One of the best interviews I ever had resulted in my getting the position because I could demonstrate the skills to form a team from the people I led through just such a demonstration.
When I told the VP of Research thanks very much but no thanks he wanted to know why. The very simplest of reasons: I’d investigated the salary they proposed to pay me and it was $39,580 less than they paid an equivalent Senior VP who had less than 6 months on the job in the same corporate structure. I didn’t object to being paid less, per se, but I certainly expected a significant increment after 90 days on the job that would place me at an equivalent spot on the company’s pay chart and that wasn’t in their plan.
A chief indicator of humility is acceptance;
a chief indicator of arrogance is denial …
The arrogant insists, “This is so.” And leaves, shutting the door behind on the past to fade away.
The humble asks, “Is that so?” And waits, leaving the window open for the future to arrive anyway.
The relationship between
acceptance and responsibility,
caring and blaming,
inspiring and expiring,
Just Breathing,
Is how you can tell
The delta between someone’s
Arrogance and humility.
I forgot (arrogantly) to close with … IMHO.
Love it!!
Courage – if you are humble, you are more likely to step into the unknown and untested waters. Most likely, if you’ve never done something before, you’re going to fail in some aspect. That takes courage to know that and still go.
Learners – leaders (worth following) are leaders. The relentless pursuit of knowledge and the application of that knowledge shows humility in that they understand they don’t know everything there is to know.
Results – When leaders share the spotlight, it shows humility in that they recognize they didn’t do it alone.
Thank you again, Dan! I am getting better because if you.
Dan,
I find all of them relevant, I use them everyday.
To connect them all together is part of the learning process of who we are and whom we become, development throughout one’s life, sort to finish.