The Power of Humility: A Formidable Skill to Navigate the Smart Machine Age
In a society that’s never felt more hyper-aggressive, competitive, and centred on the self, this seems like a timely reminder of the power of humility.
Author C. S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.” I’m sure he had certain people in mind when he said it. Perhaps those whose inflated sense of self-importance made them arrogant. This is the interesting dynamic of ego.
Ego is our own sense of self-esteem and self-importance, and a healthy dose of ego is important. It allows us to genuinely appreciate our strengths, accept our imperfections, and feed into our willpower during challenging moments.
But when ego becomes unregulated, it makes us feel superior over others, justifying certain behaviours. This can be fatal for both the individual and wider society. History has many examples.
When we better regulate and balance our ego, we create the space for humility. Humility is the quality of having a modest view of our own importance.
Humility is a mindset that allows us to lower our defences and keep an open mind; we know our worth and what we stand for (the healthy part of ego), but we’re committed to better understanding those around us and the world at large. This improves society, creating more understanding, less judgement and better collaboration.
In a society that’s never felt more hyper-aggressive, competitive, and centred on the self, this seems like a timely reminder of the power of humility. There’s another compelling reason humility may be our most formidable skill in navigating our fast-changing world.
We are now in the Smart Machine Age.
Humility as a differentiator in The Smart Machine Age
In their 2017 book, Humility Is The New Smart, Edward D Hess and Katherine Ludwig made the case that humility will become an essential professional differentiator in our Smart Machine Age. That more humility, not less, will better serve our own careers in the years ahead.
This is because technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics enable machines to increasingly perform complex tasks and more routine-based work. Jobs we used to do. A 2018 study by the OECD found nearly half the jobs in the 32-country study were vulnerable to automation.
But our new age of smart machines also presents opportunity. There is certain work that separates humans from machines. This includes critical thinking, emotional engagement, collaboration, and creative practices. These are all fundamental tenets of humility. And it’s why Hess and Ludwig consider humility such a vital path. A path we can all walk.
If we want to adopt a humbler approach in our professional and personal lives, there are ways we can go about this.
Help yourself by helping others
In our professional lives, we often work for others. Some may think the type of tasks we’re given are beneath us, and this creates the supposed indignity of serving someone else. But this can miss the point. This type of apprenticeship model created some of the greatest art in the world; both Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci began as apprentices to older, more seasoned artists.
Clear the path for the people above you and you will eventually create a path for yourself. In the meantime, you build a reputation for being indispensable. When someone asked comedian Steve Martin how to become a famous comedian, he said, “be so good they can’t ignore you.” He was talking about essential career building blocks, such as
Producing work to a consistently high standard
Being comfortable sharing your ideas with others
Discovering inefficiencies and better ways to do things
Finding interesting people and connecting them
Working with focus and deliberation every day
Let go of the short-term gratification and focus instead on the longer-term pay-off. Recognition and rewards are not in our control. But the work we produce is. The person who clears the path controls its direction.
Stay grounded
When we’re told we’re important, successful, or powerful, ego tells us that being the centre of attention is the only way to matter. Material success also plays well to the ego. We lose sight of core life questions, like Who am I? What is my purpose in this world? We feel empty because we’re disconnected from both the past and the future. The world doesn’t revolve around us, despite what we think. This goes for organisations too as well as individuals.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse believes it’s possible to recognise how small you are, but also how large you are because you’re connected to the universe and the universe is connected to you. Many influential leaders and thinkers throughout history have gone on their own journey “into the wilderness” and come back with inspiration and a strategy. By widening their perspective, they could see more - the things that mattered. We can do the same.
Realise how much came before you. We are no more special than our ancestors, despite all our material wealth. We have an obligation to stay grounded, playing our small part in the interconnected universe to the best of our ability.
Assume someone might know something you don’t
Carl Rogers, the twentieth century psychologist, said, “the great majority of us cannot listen, because listening is too dangerous. The first requirement is courage, and we do not always have it.” Rogers recognised the ego at play, hearing only what we want to hear, instead of being authentically open to learning.
Rogers suggested an experiment. Try it next time you’re out for dinner with friends.
Set the following rules. After someone has spoken on a subject, the next person can only speak after they have restated the ideas and feelings of the previous speaker accurately, and to that speaker’s satisfaction.
This approach lets you genuinely understand what the person is saying, creating empathy, while also stopping the oversimplification or distortion of someone’s argument. You also give yourself the opportunity to find value in the person’s ideas, learning something new, or if you still don’t agree, hone your positions against them, but done from a newfound place of understanding.
Listening with the intent to understand (active listening), not with the intent to reply, separates those who are humble from those who are self-centred. Next time you’re speaking with someone, assume they know something you don’t. Keep that mindset.
Always remain a student
You can’t get better in life if you’re convinced you’re already the best. Receiving constructive and critical feedback is crucial to self-development, but the ego avoids such feedback at all costs. It already considers we are unbeatable.
Frank Shamrock was a mixed martial arts pioneer and multiple world champion who created the ‘Plus, Minus and Equal’ system. He used it to train his fighters. To become great, each fighter needed to have someone better they can learn from, someone lesser they can teach, and someone equal they can challenge themselves against. The system enabled each fighter to get real and continuous feedback about what they know and what they don’t know.
Shamrock himself said, “False ideas about yourself destroy you. For me, I always stay a student. You have to use the humility as a tool.”
The student mind-set applies to everyone, irrespective of age, title, or profession. To achieve your potential and then maintain it, you need to appreciate what came before, what is going on now, and what comes next.
Take notes on everything you believe is important (and put them in your ‘Second Brain’).
Embrace your failures – they make you who you are
We don’t like to talk about failures. But only ego thinks embarrassment or failure are more than what they are. Often, failures make us who we are. They build courage and resiliency. Our vulnerability becomes a strength.
In 2002, I failed my professional exams. At night class, I was studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in marketing. I had heard the exams were notoriously difficult and made the classic mistake of over-studying. The result was a spectacular failure.
I wanted to walk away. It was my dad who said, “It’s ok if you really want to walk away, but if you want this, find a different approach”. It was great advice. I discovered the Mind Map method of Tony Buzan and applied this to my revision and preparation. And while the exams weren’t any easier, the fresh approach meant I was far more relaxed and confident. I passed the exams and got my diploma. It’s still on my wall.
The only real failure we make is abandoning our values.
Working together to set the example
A world with more humility seems like a good world to me. It’s within each of us and we have many examples from history and present day. It’s not always easy, the ego can be strong sometimes. We won’t always get it right, and as always, we need to find the balance.
I recently learned General George C. Marshall refused to write a diary while commanding the Allied Forces during World War II. Marshall, the United States’ first five-star general, was worried it would turn his quiet, reflective time into something deceptive; that he would start second-guessing tough decisions out of concern for his reputation and future readers. He was there to win the war. Not showcase himself. It reminded me of the C. S. Lewis quote. Marshall didn’t think less of himself. He thought of himself less.
If we can be humble in our aspirations, gracious in our successes, and resilient in our failures, we can play a collective role in improving our society and world.
That seems like the type of example to set for the generations to come.