Sunday, September 3, 2017

How Will You measure Your Life? Real Test of Humility

The author of this article is Clayton M.Christensen  who is a Professor at Harvard Business School.This is a very thought -provoking essay where he reminds the students that their success in life is not to be measured by their wealth or power but by the opportunity they have provided  others to grow and develop.
"What provides happiness in our careers is not money; it is the opportunity to learn , grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements."
"More and more MBA students come to school thinking that a career in business means buying,selling, and investing in companies.That is unfortunate.Doing deals does not yield the deep rewards that come from building up people."
Many felt unhappy in their lives after years of work in their companies.That is because,"they did not keep the purpose of their lives front and center as they decided how to spend their time, talents and energy."
"My purpose grew out of my religious faith."Intimate and loving relationships with their families are the most powerful and enduring source of happiness."
Creating a culture---
Power tools are coercion, threats, punishment etc.
Instead of that, we have to create a culture...
"Families have cultures, just as companies do.Those cultures can be built consciously or evolve inadvertently."
The need to stick to one's principles and values in life:
"You have got to define for yourself what you stand for and draw the line in a safe place."
Teaching a class on humility at Harvard college;
According to the students, humble people"had a high level of self-esteem.They knew who they were, and they felt good about who they were.We also decided that humility was defined not by self-deprecating behavior or attitudes but by the esteem with which you regard others. Good behavior flows naturally from that kind of humility."
When we see people acting in an abusive, arrogant or demeaning manner toward others, their behavior is a symptom of their lack of self-esteem."
I have concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life is not dollars but the individual people whose lives I have touched."
Don't worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved:worry about the individuals you have helped become better people...think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end,your life will be judged a success."

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