Politicians experience tremendous highs from the adulation of winning an election, to the agony of defeat that often follows later in their careers.

A successful executive can be riding high until they hit a bump in the road and then they fall off their pedestal.

Beloved people can be hated.

Hated people can be given a second chance.

What is more important than being successful?

Success is fleeting – it is a product of learning from failure.

More important than being rich – after all, a Pew study tells us that it only takes the average couple $75,000 a year for them to be happy.  Anything over that, according to what they told Pew, didn’t make them happier.

What one quality can make a person loved in good times and bad?

Humility.

Humility is the other “h” word – other than hubris, which is excessive pride or self-confidence.

The Dali Lama comes to mind.

Amit Sood, MD, the author of Stress Free Living is nothing if not humble.

Mariano Rivera, the great Yankees relief pitcher was beloved by fans as much as their opponent hated the Yankees.

Humility is the fine art of giving credit to everyone else when it is being heaped on you.

No one doesn’t like a person who gives credit to others – maybe even them.

I could stand to be better at this, how about you?

I have had a few moments.  For example, I do not have any awards that have been given to me in my possession.  I have given them all away publicly to the people who helped me earn them.   I handed my mentor at Dale Carnegie, Jim Weinraub, the award I received for giving the best speech to instructors and I did it in front of our peers.

Now that I think of it, I need to do more of this kind of stuff.

Humility is the quality that not only makes a person beloved, it makes us feel better about ourselves.

And the glue to make it all authentic is to be sincere.

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