Healthy Humility

I’m in an (almost) monthly Zoom chat with a group of friends who are all self-defense/martial arts people and who are all leaders or teachers in some way. In our most recent meeting, author Rory Miller posed a question about developing humility.

As self-defense/martial arts practitioners and teachers, we can’t afford to believe we know everything because that can lead to arrogance. For us, a tiny amount of Imposter Syndrome is healthy; it keeps our egos in check. But too much Imposter Syndrome becomes unhealthy; it would be a disservice to believe we have nothing to offer. We need to find the sweet spot of healthy humility.

That sweet spot was valuable when I owned my restaurant. I needed to listen to:
🔸 The culinary team who made the food.
🔸 The front-of-the-house team who directly served our guests.
🔸 The guests about their dining experiences.

Rory asked us what we thought about doing a Daily Humility Journal, kind of like a Daily Gratitude Journal. He suggested some writing prompts and then we brainstormed.

Here’s a sample of the prompts we came up with:
🔹 Someone I met today who is smarter than I am in some way.
→ And what did I learn from them?
🔹 Where was I wrong today—even just a little?
→ How did I realize it? What shifted in me?
🔹 Who did I see today handling a tough situation better than I could have?
→ What did I learn from them?

If you’re a leader or a teacher, you could add:
🔹 When did I want to fix, advise, or diagnose someone—but didn’t?
→ How did I stay my hand instead?
🔹 What strengths did I see in the person I was trying to help?
→ What could they teach me, if I listened more?
🔹Where did I want to control the outcome, but stepped back instead?
→ What happened when I did? Where was the growth?

These are a few that stayed with me.
What would you add to our Daily Humility Journal writing prompts?

This is one of my Big Ideas posts—where I explore how new ideas, good science, creativity, and bold leadership can help us build a better world.

I believe ADHD leaders have the empathy and creativity to solve the world’s biggest problems, and I want to support as many of them as possible as they step into leadership.

Take what resonates, and make it your own.

Soon I will have room for two new clients. Watch this space!