Put Others First Most everyone is worried about being forgotten, left by the wayside, not getting their piece of the pie. However, humble people know that their selfworth is not tied up in those moments. Instead, they prefer to put others in front of themselves, to show those individuals how much they are cared for and that they count. Humble people understand that when you raise someone else, you also raise yourself. This is especially true in ethical leadership. Leaders who put themselves second often have a more loyal team that will be willing to work hard for the good of the cause or company.
“You” Over “I” Just as you should be an active listener and put others first, you should also speak of or brag on others before yourself. Instead of saying, “I successfully …,” consider saying using they, she, he, the team, or my team. Putting the success of others in front of your success will make those that put in hard work feel as if they are equally important to you and make them more apt to speak to your hard work and contributions as well.
Retain Relationships Building and keeping relationships is something that is part of practicing humility, but it is also a side effect of being humble. Relationships take time, effort, and caring about other people—all things that being humble offer. Taking the time to engage with others and connect with them past what is on the surface will also give you a more comprehensive view of the world, where you work, and help you to learn from the experiences of others.
Speak Your Mind How many times have you not spoken your mind or asked a question because you were afraid of saying the wrong thing or asking a “stupid” question? Humble individuals know that their worth is not tied to those comments or questions. They understand that with a little grace, everyone can recover from a misstep. Part of continuing to learn and grow is the willingness to try new things, to put yourself out there, and to ask questions. None of those can happen if you continue to hide, not speak your mind, and not ask the difficult questions, with humility and compassion.
Have an Abundance Mentality We live in a world that lacks many things, but there are also many things that we have more than enough of. Being humble means knowing that there is always enough and that to get your piece of the pie, you might need to cooperate and communicate with others that you would generally view yourself as competing with. Never being too big to ask to work together or cheer on someone who does better than you may sting at first, but in the end, you will be glad you were humble. Being humble isn’t always easy, especially if you are not naturally a humble person. The world we live in today promotes knowing the right answer, even when you don’t, looking out for number one, and not making mistakes. However, living that way is unproductive and will never allow you to live a peaceful existence in which you can continually grow as a person, leader, or world citizen (see also ‘How To Grow As A Person‘). Working on habits that encourage more humility will begin to change your own life as well as impacting those around you in positive and uplifting ways
