Entrepreneur Qualities and Characteristics: Humility
by Bruce Wade on 18/08/10 at 9:38 am
1 comment
Humility is not a synonym for doormat. It is a character that is possessed by very few, especially in an age where personal marketing and self perception are key marketing techniques used by many entrepreneurs.
Being humble is not allowing others to walk all over you; it is being gracious and putting the service of others ahead of our own ego-centric personalities. It is the ability to allow a taxi into your lane when you are driving, it is opening a door for a women or stepping aside to allow others to exit the elevator before pushing your way through the crowd. It is stopping to listen to the problem of a person who may just need an ear for a few minutes. It is seeing people as people no matter what their circumstances or our perceptions of them.
Test your level of humility and spend a day with offenders in Pollsmoor or serve supper at the local Haven night shelter. Take time off work and build a home for Habitat for Humanity. Buy breakfast for the guy who woke up on the street and listen to his story. Step out of your bubble and get connected to the real world. Being more humble is to be more human and in my books I love doing business with people who see me and listen to me and my needs.
Bruce Wade is a survivor of the corporate and NGO world, author, speaker, business owner and entrepreneur, Bruce now runs the Entrepreneur Incubator; a member based organisation dedicated to serving those in the trenches of business through coaching, mentoring and leadership education. View more articles by Bruce Wade.
Tags: Entrepeneurship, entrepreneur, Entrepreneur Qualities and Characteristics, Entrepreneurial Ideas, entrepreneurial thinking
Jeff Baas
Aug 31st, 2010
Thanks for the excellent treatment of humility. Humility is often associated with poor self image and with someone constantly putting themselves down.
People who constantly draw attention to themselves by pointing out their own shortcomings or bemoaning how much of a victim they are to the whims of others are often considered humble. They give humility a bad name and are not humble in the least. Constantly drawing attention to oneself is the exact opposite of humility!
People who are truly humble are rarely identified as such. They’re simply considered nice, likable people, because they take time to listen, take time to help, and take interest in others.