• TOPICS
The need and the race to be salient or recognised has transformed the mindsets of our modern generation, where they believe and act in a manner which puts themselves "first". The craving for recognition and respect from others is the force that drives most people.
Humility is a very deep-rooted philosophy in the sub-continent tradition. I have often heard my mother repeat lines from a Sanskrit verse translated as below: "With knowledge comes humility, with humility comes character, from character comes wealth and the usage of wealth for the betterment of society gives happiness/joy".
The world is afflicted with a dangerous twin disease - "Me and Mine". A natural progression of one's character from "this point is over powered by the feelings of greed, jealousy, ecstacy and depression.
The dominance of these feelings is a death knell and impede character building.
The question is therefore, what shapes a successful person, business or society? I remember a recent conversation between a dear friend of mine and his son, whom I have known as a kid. The kid grew up to experience some dizzying intial success in life as he graduated from IIT Kanpur and secured admission into Stanford. He promptly put up a post on Linkedin, announcing to the world that he had made it to Stanford. His father wrote - "Congratulations son! Stay curious and stay humble!", perhaps reminding him that his success can be guaranteed only by one quality - HUMILITY!
Humility fosters many core aspects of character building – respect, empathy, curiosity and a sense of duty and internal security.
Do organisations conciously cultivate and look for 'humility' in its leaders? All else being equal amonsgt leadership contenders, is 'humility' as a value considered a tie-breaker? In an ultra-competitve world, with short career spans and self-imposed shortened timelines of success, the tendency has been to 'market' oneself with focus on growth. Hence, teams fail while individuals succeed and societies fail while businesses succeed.
Humility is often mistaken to be a lack of pride in the jobs we do, while it only points to a lack of false pride. Humility would certainly take roots in the leadership of organisations when leaders lend a helping hand and strive for the success of fellow team mates, when they are open to feedback and learning and when they show an immense concern for customers and society - in short, when they move beyond the philosphy of "Me and Mine".
A version of this article appears in the print on January 28, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
