Ishita Mishra, an engineer in a Pune-based information technology company, has recently resigned from her job of five years, as have three of her team mates. Life at work had become tough for them. An indifferent and arrogant boss led to a high performing team becoming mediocre. Lack of humility can hurt employees and organisation alike. There are ways to foster humility. Shreya Biswas finds out how.
Be Yourself At All Times When you are not humble, you are putting up an act and creating an artificial cover for yourself. Communication breaks down, and you tend to micromanage. "The ability to connect freely with peers and team mates gets impacted, which is one of the crucial aspects of handling a team. The lack of effective communication will lead to anything but good performance," says K Sudarshan, managing partner, EMA Partners International, India.
Keep a Humane Approach Being humble does not mean allowing yourself to be taken for a ride. It is about being humane in dealing with others, understanding their perspective but being firm on issues, supporting the right things and taking the right decisions. “You should never come across as an easy target for getting things done. It's a state where you are mature, open-minded, recognise your limitations and recognise others' strength to complement yours," says NS Rajan, partner and global practice leader, people and organization, Ernst & Young.
Lead by Example If you want your peers and team mates to be humble, show them how to be so. Appreciate others' talent and skills, and give them credit. Acknowledge your shortcomings, and never shy away from learning what you don't know. Help people whenever they need you. Your subordinates will appreciate this, and stand behind you whenever you need them to. This will strengthen team spirit and improve performance too.
Let the Ideas Flow Don't believe what they say about how an arrogant person is feared and respected; the opposite is true. Humility always raises your stature. When you accept your shortcomings, you embrace knowledge. You take the best from others. A halfempty pot allows for a free flow of thoughts and wisdom. And that is the hallmark of great leaders and personalities.
Get Real, Times Change The arrogance comes from power, and the importance due to influence. But situations always change. There might be employees or co-workers who you put down because of your sense of superiority today. Tables might just turn, and the people who you thought were lesser in influence, power or position could dictate terms to you. "It's an important lesson for all individuals, whether at work or in personal life. Always behave keeping in mind that times change," says Sudarshan.
(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 30-08-2011)
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