Secrets Revealed: The Two Must-Have Traits for Guaranteed Success!
One fine day, I got thinking, what are those qualities that are essential for one to succeed? I felt like I was on some podcast and I was asked that one profound question.
The first quality that I believe is of absolute essence on the road to success and i.e. Humility. And why do I say so?
Humility is what allows one to be receptive. It is what allows one to learn from one’s mistakes and experiences. It is what allows one to work as a team player. It is inherently charismatic and attractive to those who deal with you.
As a leader, it allows you to accept your mistakes. It allows you to let others take charge/control when in doubt. If breathing is necessary for living, so is humility for success. It is the stepping stone to greatness. Humility allows one to constantly learn and unlearn. It is a catalyst for a plethora of good.
It encourages openness, it allows one to recognize and appreciate the rest.
Without humility, one is bound to be blinded, gloated in self-pride, egoistic, rigid, inflexible, and so on. It limits our potential substantially. Being humble does not imply being weak, or being taken lightly. It implies that all good things in life are the cumulative result of a multitude of things and it allows one to work while taking everyone along. It allows one to take note of their inherent weaknesses, look at themselves more objectively in the mirror and make course corrections. Without humility, one would be less inclined to make changes, insist on their ways of doing things, and also be less of a team player.
Here is a fantastic article that explores the thought further.
Humility stops one from being blinded and makes one more self-aware and self-aware is key to a lot of gateways in life.
Good relationships are based on the bedrock of humility. It allows the other to be receptive, to be open, to listen, to apologize, and to make each one feel respected. Talent & hard work take a new dimension with humility.
Sachin Tendulkar was and perhaps is one of the greatest of all times in the world of cricket but what made him who he was, was largely on account of his humility.
Dr. Abdul Kalam narrates a great story of his mentor, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
And the second most important quality is the ability to shut out the noise, the opinions, the critique, and the compliments and avoid the pressure and temptation of being a people pleaser.
As a person, I am always trying to please everyone. I take it upon myself to make everyone comfortable at the party, make sure my team likes my decisions and is aligned, all stakeholders are satisfied with the project outcome, etc.
Look at the greatest of the greats. No matter who you are, or where you stand, the world will praise and abuse you in abundance. That is the law of the land. No man or woman ever born was or will ever be such that he/she was only praised or only critiqued. This is just how the world and all of us are wired. And us trying to live in a way that keeps us on one side of the fence is a twisted approach leading to a dead end.
Good leaders are often immune to external sound effects. Why is this skill so important? Cause if one tries to please everyone, he/she is never going to make the right decision. That decision is going to come from a place that is intended to please people and not do the right thing. And more often than not, the right decision is not the most comfortable. History is a testament to that. The current lockdown is a testament to that.
Good and right need not be the same side of the coin, more often than not, they are on the opposite ends.
Your decisions can hurt friends, family, peers, and many more. But you need to do what is right. And that requires a character that is the way and beyond the internal compulsions of pleasing all.
One has to be tough and focus on doing what needs to be done, irrespective of the feedback from all stakeholders. Weak leaders often struggle but the best of the best will always do the right thing no matter how hard, aggressive, or ruthless it looks on the outside.
Success in life is often the result of a combination of factors. However, these two seem imperative on the road to greatness.
