New Humble Pie is Recipe for Success

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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