New Humble Pie is Recipe for Success
Posted by Leah Komaiko on May 30th, 2009. Related posts: Happiness • Joy • Productivity • Winning.
For years I suspected (from reading about the successes of great world leaders), that the quality of humility in business and all my relationships could be very useful. I was just afraid to find out what the word “humility” actually meant. I figured I was in business for myself. Hadn’t I been humiliated enough? I was afraid humble meant the “old school” English custom of eating “humble pie.” I thought it meant being embarrassed and ashamed and so humiliated that I got to the point where I lost all self respect, then apologized. None of these “qualities” sounded like good “tools” for my “business arsenal” for attacking and conquering.
Then one day, I got up the courage to go to the dictionary. The definition of humility I like the best is “a lack of false pride.” These words gave me permission to see I didn’t have to be better than anyone else. More difficult to swallow at first was that no one had to be worse than me. All of that was false pride. If I could start my meeting assuming we were all on equal footing – coming to the table with individual talents and no answers, things got easier and I seemed to become for myself and others, a more delightful person to be with.
Here’s a tip I use to prep for meetings now that makes me feel empowered and no less or more powerful than anyone else: I concentrate on what I most want to give to this client, or group. What in my heart of heart do I know is MINE to give – my gifts. I give very little thought to what I want to get. I listen for what others have to give as if I am being given the best they have to give and that collectively we’ll come up with the solutions and answers we need. In the end, I feel I have played “my part” and I am a “part of” the whole. It is always personally satisfying. The results are usually terrific. It makes me happy. After all, what I am looking truly for is all the joy I can experience. I love the whole pie. I’m no longer so interested in just accepting crumbs.
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