The Power of Talent With Humility
March 10th, 2008 | Michael Q. Pink
A while back I wrote a blog on soft skills, chief among them humility. I well remember the time I went to hear a lineup of speakers at the 1993 Super Stars of Selling in Nashville, TN. The one speaker that stood out the most and the only one to receive a standing ovation was a man who, it seemed, was speaking before a large crowd for the first time. He was rather monotone, not at all flamboyant, cocky or arrogant and yet he held the audience in rapt attention. Sure, he had earned $3,000,000 in commissions and that was why he was invited, and sure, he had a good message about what he calls the five “F’s” of faith, family, friends, finance and fitness. But what carried the day was his profound humility. He was not boastful, arrogant or proud. His talk was the least exciting and lacked humor but it dripped humility. And the crowd was mesmerized.
There’s just something about humility that God seems to like and quite frankly, so do most people which is why when you combine humility with great talent, you get an overwhelming response. Consider Paul Potts, the cell phone salesman in England. He is not the picture of confidence, but as you will see if you watch this 4 minute video clip, he is immensely talented and genuinely humble. It’s his talent that got him on the program, but his humility that got the crowd to their feet.
What’s the lesson? Develop your gift. Follow your dream. Excel at it. And always, carry that gift with humility. Your gift will get you in the door. Humility will seal the deal. God resists the proud but exalts the humble. Don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get, so I will choose humility while striving to always do my best and improve my gift.
Important Note: Our conference call for marketing and growing your business in the 21st century was one of our all time best attended. (If you missed it, you can listen online or download it here.) In that call we offered a 90-day mentoring program which begins this week. It has received our best response ever for this type of program. The door closes on that offer this week, so if you have a business that is in need of more business or a website that needs a lot more traffic, be sure to check it out. A lot of folks had some specific questions about the suitability of this program for their business and David Johnson agreed to extend his availability to discuss your unique situation through Wednesday of this week. You can either call Toll Free (877) 254-3047 or email him at appointment@sellingamongwolves.com to get your specific questions answered.
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March 10th, 2008 at 9:44 am
The video is no longer available. I was looking forward to seeing it.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Hi Billie,
I experienced something similar, but was able to view the video. Please hit the “refresh” button on this page, and it should load up.
Thanks,
“The Geek”
March 10th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I give up. Even when I refresh, it doesn’t come up.
March 10th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Hi Billie,
Sorry you’re having some trouble. Perhaps this link will work for you (just be forewarned that it will take you directly to the YouTube site):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
Thanks,
“The Geek”
March 10th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
From Billie (via e-mail)
I got it! Awesome! I had to know that it was Paul Potts, though and I watched several clips.. What talent, what humility. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
You’re welcome, Billie. Glad it ended up working for you. Thanks for hanging in there with us, too!
-”The Geek”
March 24th, 2008 at 8:18 am
WOW! Who would have expected such a performance! For all his arrogance, Simon has discovered a way to sort out God-given talent with his flair for ‘overly frank’ programming. Thanks God, for making a silk purse out of this sow’s ear. But most of all Thank You for the Paul’s that are being discovered through it!