Humility Is The Key To Success
Success and humility are not mutually exclusive. It’s not a new concept but here we are. We have all seen it happen, after putting in years of hard work pursuing and dominating career goals, ambitious high fliers reach the peak of success (which they truly deserve) and well, their egos inflate exponentially. Whatever happened to being humble?
This self perceived importance can lead people to discard the very principles and values that made them a success in the first place. To make matters worse, because of their success in one area of their life, they come to believe that they are subject matter experts in absolutely any topic that crosses their path. Unfortunately, an unchecked ego can truly limit the payoff that they worked so hard to achieve. Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Ultimately, not everyone treats success in the same way, some people are able to stay humble and grounded. And the others, well we can learn a few lessons from them.
Stay Coachable
There’s only so much success to be found being a big fish in a small pond. If you feel that you are already at the top of your game, then where do you have to go from there?
Discover what your staff, clients, and networks have to offer and ask for their opinions and guidance. You never know what insight they may have to offer.
Cut off your Ego’s Power Supply
Don’t cut yourself off from reality by only enaging and building relationships with people who stroke your ego. If you choose to surround yourself with lackeys and minions then you may as well just be talking to yourself.
Challenge your own Hypotheses
Understanding how other people tick is definitely a great skill to have, but understanding the way that you think opens up endless possibilities for self-growth.
By challenging your own perceptions and beliefs, you create opportunities where a more efficient or effective solution can be found. Knowing your limits and being able to admit when you have gaps in your knowledge will help you to stay grounded.
Share the Credit
While you may be a success story, there’s a very good chance that you didn’t get to where you are on your own. Successful people can lose their way at times and overindulge in the highs of their success, but retaining humility will put a halt to this self-indulgence.
Always strive to find ways to share your success with those who contributed.
Listen
It may seem like a straightforward task, it is one of our primary sensory functions after all. However, it can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that your opinions are of the utmost importance. If someone is taking the time to give you advice, listen to what they have to say. Be curious.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Always remember that you are never ‘above’ needing help from others, being successful isn’t a solo sport. No one has all of the answers, but being able to acknowledge what you do and do not know shows a level of self-awareness and a willingness to learn.
Humble beginnings are a factor in many of our lives. We strive to make something of ourselves through hard work, gaining knowledge and insight, integrity, and a bit of good fortune never goes amiss.
Of course, people have the right to take pride in the successes that they have earned, but this doesn’t cancel out a lack of humility. So, don’t let success get to your head and stay humble out there.
