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Are humility and success compatible? I believe they are not only compatible, but true humility can enhance our success. It may sound contradictory, but I think you’ll find it’s true.
We talked about the fact that humility is not generally viewed as a necessary characteristic for the successful career person. But true humility is indeed very helpful. Consider the characteristics of truly humble people.
First of all, they are teachable. They don’t have a “know-it-all” attitude. They recognize that they can learn from others and that they don’t have all the answers. They are open to suggestions and constructive criticism.
Now, I can tell you that those characteristics are extremely useful in any business environment. The person who is continually looking for ways to improve and is willing to learn from others will grow and improve much faster than the ones who think they know all there is to know.
The person who is truly humble is one who gives respect to other people and does not have an arrogant or condescending attitude toward others. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians to consider others better than ourselves. In other words, true humility is when we continually remind ourselves of the importance of other people, when we try to daily practice compassion and have empathy for others.
Again, this attribute is very well received in business circles. How often do you hear someone say, “They have really good people skills.” Well, good people skills is another way of saying they treat people with respect and fairness, and they are considerate of their feelings and their needs. That is recognized in business today as a very desirable trait for a good manager.
And true humility gives us that kind of attitude toward people. It truly helps us develop good people skills, and therefore makes us better prepared for success.
Humility and success are very compatible, and as Christians in the marketplace, we’ll find that striving to be truly humble will enhance our skills and our performance on the job.