Can being humble make you a powerful leader? I believe the answer to this question is a resounding, "Yes!" However, most people in positions of power tend to allow their egos to get the best of them, and everyone knows the ego does not like to be humble. It likes to toot its own horn. It lives to impress people and receive recognition. We may think that our egos give us confidence, but the irony is that when one is truly and sincerely confident, all it takes is his or her presence alone to be deeply felt by others, and that is when one is the most impressive and recognized. When a person is constantly telling us how great they are, don't you get the impression that they must feel so unimportant inside? It is sad, really. They need the attention in order to feel good about themselves.
However, those who don't need the attention and don't go looking for it, are the ones who sit back while other people praise, admire, and reward them for their deeds. They are the people who inspire and command the attention of others without saying a word. Their silent presence is an invisible force of powerful, positive energy that causes them to stand out. They are tuned in to a higher source of wisdom, and they exude gratitude for their gifts and experiences. They are aware of their talents and accomplishments, but they don't need to broadcast them because they know that others will probably find out eventually, and if they don't, that's okay, too. Genuine humility is this combination of awareness, modesty, gratitude, and compassion for other human beings; it is a marriage between grace and fortitude, and therein, lies its power.
So how can we be more humble and recognize when our egos are actually making us look small? Here is a list of 10 questions to ask yourself, in order to keep an eye on your ego, gain some humility, and maybe even become an example of greatness to others:
1) During a conversation, are you doing most of the talking or most of the listening?
2) Does it make you feel important to talk about how much you have, especially knowing that those you're speaking to have less than you?
3) Do you tell people every time you've done something nice for someone else?
4) Can you listen to someone's story without "one-upping" them with a better story of your own?
5) Do you need to be right?
6) Are you a "name-dropper"?
7) Can you "label" individuals just by looking at them?
8) Do you place yourself on a certain level above others?
9) Are you sometimes unkind?
10) Is getting attention important to you?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, a touch of humility will more than likely serve you well. For if you are looking to feel powerful and important, the real power lies within you, not in your accomplishments and not in your net worth. Being humble ironically gets you noticed. It is possible to be a leader and excel and be humble, all at the same time. When your heart is humble, you know that you are appreciated, and that is enough; you don't need a fancy title, a gold star, or a parade. Your humility makes you "shiny" and lets people know that you believe in yourself, which in turn, gives them permission to believe in themselves... what is more important and powerful than that?
Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom.
-- William Penn