The Power of Humility

There is absolutely no way that I would have been able to get to where I am today without the help of my peers, colleagues and employees.

Achieving fame, fortune, notoriety and publicity is certainly a great accomplishment in the eyes of most, yet remaining humble and giving back is even more of an accomplishment.

Once successful, it is easy to develop an ego, sometimes a raging one. Many times the ultra-successful denote being successful with being above the law and that their success affords them to be rude, obnoxious, and downright immature. Success can definitely go to one’s head and when it does, people have a skewed sense of reality.

Over my lifespan, I have come into contact with many different people from all walks of life. I can say that hands down, those that came from modest upbringings that achieved great success later on in life have and display a much different appreciation and outlook on life. I’m talking about the dreamers and doers that endured the blood, sweat and tears required to bring their dreams to fruition.

They are able to reflect on the past and all of the people that have helped them get to where they are now. They realize that those people, some of whom were considered beneath them by society’s standards, were truly the ones that made their success possible. Pushing, pulling, lifting, and steadying them when their paths were rocky—those people encouraged them to continue with their vision and quest.

Stay true in the dark and humble in the spotlight.
—Harold B. Lee

I remember my journey starting from humble beginnings as a new doctor. I was struggled just to keep up with patient caseloads and finish the necessary documentation on time. Over the years, I became a better practitioner and achieved a high status in the medical realm due to my constant focus and the determination to prevail in my profession.

I confess, there were times that I felt unstoppable and on top of the world. Looking back, there is absolutely no way that I would have been able to get to where I am today without the help of my peers, colleagues and employees. In fact, if it weren’t for an amazing staff that helped align my day, I would still be struggling to work up the ranks to what I deem successful.

The Power of Humility

True professionals understand that they will never be perfect and they know that they don’t know everything there is to know about everything. They must always maintain a certain sense of humility so that they are able to contemplate new ideas from different angles and therefore always be able to expand intellectually in all areas. These people realize that they are still teachable and take pride in not knowing it all. They also have a tendency to be more thankful and have learned to appreciate and not expect.

You may see a big attitude shift when you can put yourself back in your employees’ shoes and understand and appreciate them for all they have done. Being humble in this sense allows you to reminisce about your past and give back to those that helped you along the way.

When I say give back, I’m not necessarily talking about a monetary contribution—it doesn’t have to come with your checkbook attached. Giving back could be in the form of giving advice or leadership to others in need of it. You can also give back by supporting a charity or performing nonprofit work. Some of the biggest powerhouse businesspersons today spend a large chunk of their time giving back to their community.

By having a humble attitude, successful individuals are often much more readily available to help teach and inspire those that they devote their time to because they understand the relationship of giving back in order to receive. Sure, they make monetary contributions as well, and those can be powerful too. But the true abundance of being humble comes from the time you dedicate in your own life to thank and appreciate people that might not be as well off as you are.

Stop holding yourself back by defining yourself by your bank account or comparing yourself to others. Instead, open yourself up to be proud of who you are and what you have become. Recognize the immense value of giving to others, and go out of your way to thank those that have made you who you are today. There truly is so much more to this world than we can even imagine.