Quite often, it is easy for one to let their pride and ego take over either in their social circles or at their workplace. This is especially common where you may feel intellectually or industrial-wise superior to your associates. But according to entrepreneur Chris Kirubi, nothing could be more destructive and undermining than this:
“Nothing is constant at the workplace. Your boss may bring in another employee or team to assist you in managing a project or particular responsibilities. However, this does not necessarily mean that you are not a high achiever or are not capable of handling the work load. It doesn’t call for competition. It only means that he/she believes that your work output will be much stronger together and wants the best from both of you.
Working with others is not easy and at the same time not difficult. If you have a know-it-all attitude, do not appreciate correction or only think you can learn from those smarter than you, then your learning opportunities will be very limited. You must learn to humble yourself if you want to keep learning and achieve success.
When I got an opportunity to go abroad and pursue further studies, I found myself in classroom where majority of the students were younger than me.  It may have taken me some time to adjust but it was important that I remain open minded for the sake of achieving my purpose. Learning from people’s experiences and sharing knowledge makes it worthwhile. Your area of weakness could be someone else’s area of strength. Working together in harmony will help you achieve more and hasten your learning process.
Generally, learn to be secure. Those with low self-esteem try to put others down to feel good about themselves. Don’t be one of them.
Be open minded. There is a lot to learn from others including your juniors at work, subordinate staff or someone in a lower social class than you. They may not be dressed in flashy designer wear or be well educated, but their experiences have made them wiser and you can learn a lot from them. All you have to do is give them the opportunity and let them feel good about themselves. Humility is not about you but what you do for others and how you make them feel. It’s about others experiencing ‘less’ of you.
The last thing the workplace needs is a competition of egos because that will get in the way of productivity. Work alongside those you are made to work with and when you are in a team, give everyone a chance even those less vocal to make a contribution
Seeking help doesn’t necessarily mean that you are weak. You just lack information about a particular subject or situation and would want clarity. You have nothing to lose but if you let your pride and a low self-esteem get in the way, you may as well have everything to lose.
We all have something to learn from each other. Don’t bring disgrace to your life because of pride. Embrace humility/ modesty, for it comes with wisdom.”
