Humble Managers

Money has come to rule our lives. The truth is that money has become our Master, instead of us becoming masters of the money we have earned! My reflections today are on the theme of humility

When Darwin Smith was designated as the CEO of the famous paper company, Kimberley-Clarke, most people who knew him were surprised. He was the shy, reserved, mild-mannered company lawyer who lacked those qualities popularly associated with chief executives: he was not in the least aggressive, he had no ego, no airs about him; and he openly told his friends that he could not understand why the Board of Directors had chosen him!

A friend took him aside one day and said to him, “Darwin, you must quit while you still have the option. You and I know, you really do not have what it takes to be a leader.” Darwin not only became the CEO but also remained the CEO of Kimberley-Clarke for the next twenty years. In addition, in that period, to quote the experts, Kimberley-Clarke moved from being merely a ‘good’ company to becoming a ‘great’ company. In fact, it became the leading consumer of paper products company in the world, acquiring some rival companies and pushing other competitors into the shade. We are told that it outperformed corporate giants like Coca Cola, General Electric, Hewlett Packard and 3M, under his leadership.

Today, Darwin Smith is hailed as a fine example of a Level Five Leader, who combined absolute professional commitment and discipline with utter humility.

In the times we live, money has come to dominate our lives. In fact, people have started to worship money more than they worship God. Today, a man is known by the wealth he owns. We respect people whose bank balances are high; we venerate people who drive big cars; we measure men by their designations and power. Money has become power! There was a time when a man was judged for his character, his values and his knowledge. Today, these things do not matter. Money has come to rule our lives. The truth is that money has become our Master, instead of us becoming masters of the money we have earned! My reflections today are on the theme of humility.

Experts tell us that the word humility is derived from the Latin word ‘humilitas’ which means ‘grounded’ or from the root of this word, ‘humus’, i.e. the earth, which is beneath us.

Humility is a virtue associated with modesty, lack of pride and reverence for others. Therefore, it is highly regarded by all religions. It is associated with egolessness – is therefore the best antidote to ‘ahankara’ or self-pride, which is an evil that all of us must avoid.

Humility is a virtue associated with modesty, lack of pride and reverence for others. Therefore, it is highly regarded by all religions

I am afraid we in the modern age do not think very highly of this virtue! “This world is for fighters and pushers,” we proclaim. “Seek to have a low profile and the pushers and shovers will walk all over you. If you want to get anywhere, cultivate aggression. Otherwise, you will be regarded as a loser.”

Thus we prefer to pay lip service to humility, but will not recommend it for practice in deeds of daily living!

“This is a competitive world, Dada,” a brother said to me. “Humility is a virtue of past ages. It is not something which I would recommend to an entrepreneur or a business leader.”

I am pained to say this: we urge our children to be pushy, competitive, aggressive and self centered from an early age. We are convinced that arrogance and pride and ego are necessary for self-esteem, for survival in this world. “Put yourself first,” seems to be the mantra we instill into them. At least some of you will be surprised to know that humility is now being studied as a virtue necessary for the best leaders, in Management circles. It is not perceived as a lack of self-esteem or lack of confidence but an attitude which allows for others’ greatness and thus helps the manager create the right perspective which enables him – not just to manage, direct and order people but to help them discover their best potential, by helping them to transform themselves.