Are you humble?
Humility has been unsurprisingly defined: the combination of humility and ambition that drives successful people. It is a character trait that is rarely observed, simply because the two dominant cultures in the United States teach the impact of one or the other, but generally not the potential influence of the combination.
The market is very worried about ambition. If you work hard enough, you can achieve anything. Seize every opportunity and take advantage of who and what it takes to get to the top. Exploitation and manipulation are disgusting tactics of unbridled ambition. With this mindset, patience is not a virtue and “no” is never taken as an adequate answer. After all, the American Dream cannot be achieved without compromising the virtue of ambition.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Church supports a life based on the quality of humility. This notion stems from the pervasive perception of Jesus as nothing more than a humble peacemaker. Unfortunately, many Christians humble the world by becoming a doormat, ready and willing to be trampled on for the glory of God. However, what would happen if these two traits were infused? A humble person with an ambitious attitude of constant improvement and an open mind to collaborate with others would be unique to say the least. Also, what if this kind of person injected this kind of leadership into his business? An organization with a culture of humility would be nothing short of successful.
A great example of the character trait of humility can be found in Nehemiah. After many years of exile in Persia, Nehemiah received news that the Jewish remnant living in Jerusalem was in great distress. The once impenetrable walls of Jerusalem had been burned and destroyed and had yet to be rebuilt again. Without a fortified city, there was no hope that the Jewish nation would come together and experience a prosperous culture once again. God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem by reusing the crumbling and burned rubble left over from the destruction. Although they were insulted and jeered, Nehemiah and his faithful followers undertook the daunting task with one hand and carried weapons for battle with the other, in case a surrounding enemy tried to take advantage of them in such a vulnerable state. Further attempts to distract Nehemiah and the workers were in vain as they worked with great ambition to finish the massive wall in just 52 days. Nehemiah’s trust in God in the face of his vulnerable position revealed his inspiring humility. This trait, combined with his resilience and tenacity with which he led the construction project, speaks to his strong ambition.
As recorded in Luke of the New Testament, Jesus tells the story of a cunning administrator who ironically embodies the elusive trait of humbition. A man forces his financial director to show him the books, especially his investments and his debts. Sensing that the manager had been dishonest, it seems as if the man is about to fire him. However, in a shrewd act of business acumen, the manager began claiming those outstanding debts from his landlord and cut his payments by up to half of his debt. In this way, the manager not only earned the patronage of the owner’s debtors, but also earned the respect and tenure of his master’s employment. At the conclusion of this story, Jesus makes a bold statement: “The people of this world are more cunning in dealing with their own kind than the people of light.” Although this is a traditionally difficult passage to interpret, it is obvious that Jesus praises the manager’s ambition over his humility and acknowledges that this trait is rare among those in the Church. It is clear that the manager was denounced for his mistakes in mishandling the money that had been entrusted to him, but he did not give up. He took the opportunity he was given and allowed his ambition and wisdom to keep him in the game.
The humbition building block must be woven into the culture of your business. It’s a balancing act between admitting and learning from your mistakes, as well as making safe and aggressive decisions. Furthermore, we must constantly rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we constantly seek more effective and efficient means of operation. It is imperative that we remain motivated and loyal. We strive to be non-conformists who live off the favor of God. We need to build our business on the biblical principle of humility.