The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius lived in the fifth-century BCE during a time known as the Spring and Autumn period. The name "Confucius" is actually the Latinized form of the Mandarin Chinese word for "Great Master Kong" or "Wise Teacher Kong" that was coined by Jesuit priests in the 16th century. By tradition, Confucius is said to have authored many ancient texts, and many of his aphorisms were collected in a text known as the Analects.
Confucius once said, "The good man does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs."
Rather than constantly seeking praise, attention, and recognition, Confucius is telling us that we should instead focus on recognizing the abilities and contributions of others. We should use the "we" a lot more frequently than the "me."
Phillip Bourne wrote an article a couple of years ago for the journal PLOS Computational Biology called "Ten simple rules for good leadership". His second rule was on being humble. Bourne wrote, "A great organization is facilitated by a good leader, but not solely the result of one. Recognize that and be humble...Give credit whenever possible and take little for yourself."
Stay humble my friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment