Humility is not just an important virtue, it is an essential one. We live in a world of competition and comparison. Our Instagram feeds are in constant battle with each other, our children are compared with their peers, and we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. The workplace environment is becoming more and more toxic as time goes on, and it’s having a huge impact on business productivity. Many negative behaviors go on in the typical workplace, but the worst of them all is a lack of empathy. A lack of empathy at work can cause a lot of damage to a company. It leads to poor team dynamics, high employee turnover rates, and increases stress among employees. To prevent this from happening, managers need to step in and take action. Managers need to focus on increasing empathy at work by encouraging employees to be more humble. Let’s know more about humility in the workplace.
Need for humility
Humility is a virtue that is often overlooked in the workplace. I’d say it’s one of the most important virtues for leaders to have. It’s a virtue that can help you as a leader, and make your team more effective. Humility can help you grow as a leader. If you are humble, you will be open to learning from others, which is crucial for your personal growth. You will also accept responsibility when things go wrong, which creates trust with your employees. Humility at work is essential for two reasons. Firstly, nobody likes working with someone who’s egotistical and self-serving. Secondly, humility makes you a stronger leader by helping you acknowledge the strengths of others.
What research says?
Every office has its share of personality conflicts and petty disputes and many managers and supervisors believe that what’s lost in productivity can be made up for by enforcing strict rules and policies. This is not true. The research shows that happy workers are more productive than unhappy workers, so it makes sense to treat employees with respect and dignity. That means letting them know you appreciate their efforts and value their contributions to the company’s success. This doesn’t mean that you should let your employees run roughshod over the policy manual or the chain of command. It does mean that everyone deserves a kind word.
Traits of a humble person
Humility is not only about how you treat others but also how you see yourself. It is about being aware of what you don’t know and being OK with that. A humble person is the opposite of an arrogant person. While arrogance is all about thinking highly of you, humility is all about thinking highly of others. Arrogance will make you believe that no one can do anything as well as you, while humility will make you realize that everyone has his or her strengths and talents. Humility is often confused with low self-esteem or an inability to feel confident. But this is not the case at all. The humble individual has a strong sense of self-worth, but they also have an honest understanding of their capabilities and limits.
There are a few traits a person must have to be considered a ‘humble’ person.
- The first trait of a humble person is that they recognize their flaws. They recognize that they are not better than anyone else and that everyone has the same opportunity to succeed. This is something that I struggle with daily.
- Happiness, a study was done by psychologists shows that people who possess humility are happier than people who do not possess it. This makes sense because the humble person knows that they can’t accomplish everything by themselves, and therefore knows that they must rely on others.
- A person with humility is empathetic towards others who are less fortunate or in difficulty. He will feel connected to the needs of the other person and try to help them out with empathy. He will put himself in others’ shoes and empathize with them.
How to have humility at the workplace
Studies have shown that humble employees are both happier and more productive, which is great for your business.
Here are a few things you can do to foster a humble environment at work.
- Start with a team meeting to discuss humility in the workplace, and why it’s important.
- Share some stories from the business world about humble people who have done well, and how they put others before themselves.
- Include a section of your employee handbook that has a code of conduct for humility in the workplace and include examples of situations where being humble would help.
- Listen more than you speak. Take time to listen to everyone’s opinion before you make any decision. Even if it is not your job, try to lend your ears to each person who is talking.
Detailed behavior at the workplace
With your boss
There are several reasons why you may get frustrated with your boss. He or she may be overbearing, constantly interrupting your work, making unfair demands, or even trying to sabotage your career. It can quickly become overwhelming and bring your productivity to a grinding halt. It’s important to remember that your boss is also human; they have their shortcomings and challenges that you might not know about. If you find yourself constantly at odds with your manager, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate the relationship. Keep your head down and your work up. When you’re doing good work, don’t be shy about letting people know. When you’re not, it’s okay to ask for help.
With your employee
Being humble with your employee is very important; you have to treat them as part of the family.
Here are the tips to behave humbly with your employee.
Ask for feedback: It is important to know the employee’s perception of your behavior. Ask them about their perception of your leadership skills. It will help you to improve yourself as a leader.
Follow through on promises: If you have told them that you will do something or follow up on something, then ensure that you deliver on what you have promised.
With others
Great employees are humble in almost every way. They don’t put themselves above their peers when it comes to working ethics or intelligence. They don’t take too much credit when something good happens. They don’t brag about things they haven’t accomplished yet. They aren’t boastful in any way, and they never forget that they wouldn’t be where they are without the help of others.
Some benefits of humility
Health benefits
If you are humble, you won’t let yourself get ahead of yourself. When your success gets the best of you, it becomes confidence, and there is nothing wrong with confidence. Confidence will open doors for you and give you opportunities that others don’t get. I will also be free of tension and will probably have a life of lower panic attacks.
Social benefits
Humility is a quality that too few of us possess. But the benefits of humility are so great; it’s worth developing this quality. Humility prevents us from making rash judgments and holding onto grudges. It gives us the ability to see the good in others and understand why they might have done something bad. The social benefits of humility are mostly derived from its relationship with other virtues such as honesty and integrity. Honesty and humility are two attributes that reinforce each other because a humble person will have less to gain by lying or misleading others.
Financial benefits
Humility is not a quality that comes to mind when thinking about successful businessmen. A humble man might seem like an oxymoron. However, science has shown that being too proud is detrimental to business. An article on Forbes titled “The Benefits of Humbling Yourself” explains that those who are humble are more effective leaders and communicators. These qualities allow them to be better decision-makers and problem solvers, as well as build stronger relationships with their employees or customers.
Other benefits
Here are some other benefits that come with the humility of admitting you don’t have all the answers.
- You can focus on learning, instead of defending your knowledge.
- You can gain perspective, by seeing the world through eyes that are different from your own.
- You can learn to check yourself before you wreck yourself.
- You can make new friends and allies, who may become valuable resources in your life.
- You won’t let pride get in the way of progress and you will always look for ways to improve yourself.
The Conclusion
While it may be tempting to brag about your accomplishments, being humble will attract more people to you. People are drawn to those who are authentic and have a positive attitude. The best way to become more humble is to be willing to admit your flaws and mistakes. The more you do this the easier it becomes. This is one of the best things you can do for your career because humility will help you grow as a person and improve how you work with others.
