Until the fag end of my first stint as a content writer and a newbie in the corporate world, not a day went by that I didn't ask myself the same question - Am I too humble? Humility overdose was not taking me anywhere. It was hindering my successes and accomplishments. I was a doormat for my manager to wipe her feet on. It took a few years for the realization to dawn on me, or I learned it the hard way.
If I draw from my personal experience and jot down the perils of being too humble, here is what I have experienced over the years:
1. I worked way to hard to not show off , and I was always willing to go that extra mile and stay away or hide from the crowd. Eventually, my colleagues and friends misconstrued it as lack of confidence and capability. I was never a good marketer of my capabilities or talents, the reason why I was constantly underestimated.
2. A quiet contributor with adequate experience in writing, I never found myself getting promoted to a senior position, instead, worked under colleagues with lesser experience and potential. The reason was simple – I never learned how to talk my way into becoming a leader.
3. A writer by passion and profession, I had a substantial number of blogs and articles to my credit. But I never received the deserving acknowledgement for my talents. For fear of being called a braggart, I never made any deliberate effort to flaunt them in the way I should have.
4. Editing was never my forte, but I have a keen eye and strong attention to detail. SEO too was not my strong suit. I learned editing and SEO with passion and commitment but failed to leverage many opportunities that came my way because I didn’t know how to showcase my skills at the right time and kept waiting for my manager to identify them.
5. Astute and sly minds around me misused my politeness and humbleness on several occasions. They dictated decisions for me, believed I am a dogsbody, and leveraged my skills and to climb up the ladder of growth, happiness, and contentment in life.
6. Humility overdose overpowered my negotiation skills. Despite knowing my worth, I could not negotiate reasonable earnings for myself.
Humble Vs. too humble
There is a world of difference between humble and too humble, but the line between the two of them is blurry. Humbleness will help scale greater heights and arrogance will drive people away. However, if you are too humble and gracious, you will be treated like a doormat. Moreover, too much humbleness builds a strong barrier that stops the world from knowing you, your strengths, your talents, and your capabilities. If you are keen on gaining a firm foothold in today's overcrowded and judgmental world and wish to get the deserving acceptance and recognition for your skills and abilities, drain out the extra humbleness within yourself and keep it optimal.
How to find a balance between the two
1. If you have skills, talents, and abilities that are worth flaunting, go ahead and speak up for yourself. Or, learn how to recognize your worth and to be an advocate for yourself.
2. Showcase your skills and talk about your accomplishments with confidence and without coming off as a big-headed braggart. Voice your opinions and let others express theirs as well.
3. Procrastination is a trap that most of us fall into. Don’t wait for the right time to do what you feel is right. Any time is a good time and right time is when you find a potential opportunity – grab it and make it yours!
4. Learn how to deal with people-pleasing tendencies and practice different ways of saying NO without offending others.