Humility

How we communicate and, in doing so, present ourselves to others is a matter of personal preference. Assuming we share the same goal of making a positive connection and being heard, then the question revolves around choosing how best to do it and carrying out strategies with which we feel most comfortable. It is the choices we make that provide others with a window into the kind of person we are. For instance, is our outreach loud, overbearing and boastful? Or is it subtle, fact-driven and inviting? My contention is the answer to those serves as a direct link to those characteristics that define us as to who we are.

For myself, I have always tried to adapt a humble approach. I see my general my outreach as being more inclusive than confrontational. Even in situations such as job interviews or teaching students in a classroom setting, my tendency has been to keep the spotlight on me as less as possible. (At this point, I will acknowledge that this is only my perspective and that others, including those with whom I have interviewed or taught, may disagree.) People, myself included, tend to be more receptive to what is being communicated to them if they feel less threatened or under attack. When it comes to communicating with others, I have tried to be sensitive to this.

Arguably, the public figure who best personified humility when communicating with others was President Lincoln. Our sixteenth president came from humble beginnings. The influence of that background never seemed to leave him in his efforts to sway public opinion, deal with political enemies, and keep a nation together. Perhaps it was that that made so many of public pronouncements as powerful and inspiring as they proved to be. This is one more case where many of us can learn from Lincoln. Also, humility is a way to keep us as grounded as we need to be when others seek to communicate with us.