Becoming A Leader: You Can Be It Too (III)
Character Trait TWO- HUMILITY
"A True Leader sees others as much important."
For long- hitherto, very many people have confused the idea of what it means to be humble. Humility isn’t dumbness. It isn’t looking down on yourself over the prestige or criticisms of others, either. Humility isn’t shrinking so that people may accept and love you. That may work for a little while, but you are going fail and end up just “a part of the pack”. Nobody is going to follow you.
But in fact, humility is just the opposite of all that- having excellent self-knowledge, including your strengths and weaknesses- loving yourself, accepting yourself without boasting but without apologies.
By implication, humility is strength. Humility is knowing thyself and caring mostly about the things something to you. Humility is operating self-discovery, self-knowledge mode without giving a damn, ‘cause you understand the world we live on and its neurotic, volatile dynamics. Do not waver.
In explaining more of humility, I want you to think about the earth- that rocky, bountiful substance from the ground. Imagine all that it may stand for- rockiness, solid, bountifulness, courtesy, and down-to-earthiness.
Assaying the physical properties of this compound shows a substance with no sophistication, yet with firmness; a substance with simplicity, yet with the majesty all around it. That is pretty captivating.
The idea of humility can so quite be perplexing. Yet, it is an essential tool for effective leadership.
Humility denotes earthiness. A leader must have a profound healthy sense of himself. He must possess self-awareness, understand who he really is, where he stands among the scheme of things. Importantly, a leader has got to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses, including your fears. You must accept them without boasting, and use them constructively. That’s humility in its purest form. I don’t think there’s any better description.
I am humble by recognizing that I have weaknesses and insecurities, and as a consequence, give other people permission to express themselves and see what I can gain from them. They will surprise me with their ingenuity
I am humble because I recognize, like everybody, I am fallen. Hence, I cannot find the things that make me different than others. Thus, I do not look down on others personas. I do not think I am any smarter or richer or more fast-thinking than other people. Instead, I see others as friends who have similar struggles and enemies (resistances) as I do. I see ‘others the way God does- lovely and worthy children. But, a leader would come to a realization that everyone has worth and immense abilities- abilities that I may only have to dream of, that I may have to wish were mine- in a good way. Abilities that are worth being exploited for the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives.
This is because I know that I could not possibly have all the answers.
Here is another potency of humility. With humility, you have the grace to see the best in less-than-perfect people, and that in turn enables the ingenuity of these people to be sparked and unlocked for the advancement of what you want to get done.
Even to the ordinary man, humility is so vital to his existence that without it, it's pretty impossible to please God. our Heavenly father is moved by a humble, contrite spirit and with that, He is more than thrilled sufficiently to forgive all of our sins, provide us with redemption, and set us on the path to eternal blessings when we submit ourselves to his will and dedicate our lives to discovering His truth and carrying out his works
The story is told of President Harry Truman and House Speaker Sam Rayburn. When the former was thrust into the presidency as a consequence of the death of FDR who passed away after over 12 years as president of the United States. Soon after, House Speaker Sam Rayburn took Truman aside and said, “From here on out, you are going to have lots of people around you, and they are going to tell you what a great man you are. But Harry… you and I both know you ain't.” Truman took the advice to heart and became a truly great president.
One essential key to greatness? Don’t think too much of yourself. But don’t think too little of yourself, either. Steer clear of these two traps. Instead, know who you truly are- standing firm in the things that you believe in. Over time, you will be a figure that’s worth looking up to and whom everyone wants to be like.
I congratulate you on your tentative emergence as the leader that world is desperately in search of.
Go fill this leadership vacuum!
Go!