Main Article - Jun, 2006
HUMILITY
Professor Bharat R. Sant, Ex-Scientist, CSIR
Many of you may have read or heard the story of a parishioner who received recognition for being the humblest man in the church. They gave him a pin to wear. The following Sunday, he wore it and they took it away from him for being proud. Is humility like this? Perhaps as soon as we think, we are humble, we are not. The great 18th Century Scientist-Philosopher-Statesman Benjamin Franklin said, “To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.”
Humility in Leadership
There was once a popular lecture on ‘Leadership’ to be delivered by an eminent person. Everyone in the organisation was invited. One person did not want to attend, he told his friend, “I don’t want to be a leader, why then should I attend the lecture?”. His friend said, “but you must know what are the traits of a leader so that you know which leader to follow.” There is a “leader” in each one of us. Most of us are not aware of it. That “leader” gets manifested in our behaviour and activities whether at home, place of work, in fact any where. Organisations expect their leaders to be visionary, authoritative, competent and motivational. Nowhere does it say any thing about being humble.
Whether a person is a scientist, an administrator, or just a staff member, he or she should be humble. Humility is not taught in a school, not even in management or leadership courses. Ask any parent -- do you want your children to be humble? Most of them would hesitate to answer yes, because we tend to equate humility with weakness. Humility may be meekness but certainly not weakness. In fact, humility leads to strength. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Humility makes great men twice honourable.”
Hubris versus Humility
What is the opposite of humility? Is it pride? Is it arrogance? The Greek word is “hubris” which means excessive pride. Pride, within limits, is good; we feel proud of our parents, our teacher, our school, our organisation, our country. Parents need to teach their children about their accomplishments. Take pleasure in your accomplishments, not pride. All religions recognize God as the source of a person’s greatness. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”, says Bible. “Insha’allah”, says Islam. “Be humble, be harmless. Have no pretensions. Be upright, forbearing. Serve your teacher in true obedience”, says Srimad Bhagwad Gita. The 1913 Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore wrote, “we come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”
Humility is to be communicated
A Scientist, it is said, has to have some hubris without which creative science does not emerge. Similarly, ego is essential to leadership because it builds self-confidence. Effective leaders have also to display courage, commitment, and integrity. These and many other leadership traits are surpassed by the distinctive attribute of “transparency”
-- the humility that needs to be seen by others. It shall not be at the expense of integrity or courage but it will be based on a track record of genuineness and authenticity. A leader has to communicate his humility. It is not easy.
Humility can be learnt
Humility is best shown by example. An arrogant person can never teach humility. A parent, being in a state of authority, can easily slip into arrogance. Children do not become rude all of a sudden -- they imitate, they get encouraged, and once allowed to be rude and disrespectful will grow into even ruder teen. Teaching a child to speak with greater humility and respect needs patience on past of parents. Humility has to become a way of life and the respect that flows from humility; a matter of course.
Although humility cannot be ‘taught’, it can be learnt at any age. All it needs is a bit of introspection and an intense urge to earn. As the Scottish dramatist and creator of Peter Pan rightly said, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”
.o.
Professor Bharat R. Sant, Ex-Scientist, CSIR
Many of you may have read or heard the story of a parishioner who received recognition for being the humblest man in the church. They gave him a pin to wear. The following Sunday, he wore it and they took it away from him for being proud. Is humility like this? Perhaps as soon as we think, we are humble, we are not. The great 18th Century Scientist-Philosopher-Statesman Benjamin Franklin said, “To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.”
Humility in Leadership
There was once a popular lecture on ‘Leadership’ to be delivered by an eminent person. Everyone in the organisation was invited. One person did not want to attend, he told his friend, “I don’t want to be a leader, why then should I attend the lecture?”. His friend said, “but you must know what are the traits of a leader so that you know which leader to follow.” There is a “leader” in each one of us. Most of us are not aware of it. That “leader” gets manifested in our behaviour and activities whether at home, place of work, in fact any where. Organisations expect their leaders to be visionary, authoritative, competent and motivational. Nowhere does it say any thing about being humble.
Whether a person is a scientist, an administrator, or just a staff member, he or she should be humble. Humility is not taught in a school, not even in management or leadership courses. Ask any parent -- do you want your children to be humble? Most of them would hesitate to answer yes, because we tend to equate humility with weakness. Humility may be meekness but certainly not weakness. In fact, humility leads to strength. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Humility makes great men twice honourable.”
Hubris versus Humility
What is the opposite of humility? Is it pride? Is it arrogance? The Greek word is “hubris” which means excessive pride. Pride, within limits, is good; we feel proud of our parents, our teacher, our school, our organisation, our country. Parents need to teach their children about their accomplishments. Take pleasure in your accomplishments, not pride. All religions recognize God as the source of a person’s greatness. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”, says Bible. “Insha’allah”, says Islam. “Be humble, be harmless. Have no pretensions. Be upright, forbearing. Serve your teacher in true obedience”, says Srimad Bhagwad Gita. The 1913 Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore wrote, “we come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”
Humility is to be communicated
A Scientist, it is said, has to have some hubris without which creative science does not emerge. Similarly, ego is essential to leadership because it builds self-confidence. Effective leaders have also to display courage, commitment, and integrity. These and many other leadership traits are surpassed by the distinctive attribute of “transparency”
-- the humility that needs to be seen by others. It shall not be at the expense of integrity or courage but it will be based on a track record of genuineness and authenticity. A leader has to communicate his humility. It is not easy.
Humility can be learnt
Humility is best shown by example. An arrogant person can never teach humility. A parent, being in a state of authority, can easily slip into arrogance. Children do not become rude all of a sudden -- they imitate, they get encouraged, and once allowed to be rude and disrespectful will grow into even ruder teen. Teaching a child to speak with greater humility and respect needs patience on past of parents. Humility has to become a way of life and the respect that flows from humility; a matter of course.
Although humility cannot be ‘taught’, it can be learnt at any age. All it needs is a bit of introspection and an intense urge to earn. As the Scottish dramatist and creator of Peter Pan rightly said, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”
.o.
