As a lifelong student—and teacher—of leadership, I’ve found that defining this incredible word is easier said than done. Leadership is one of the most studied, written-about, and aspired-to traits in all of human history. There are thousands of theories, models, and definitions floating around, from servant leadership to transformational leadership, from positional power to moral authority.
And yet, every once in a while, you find a definition that hits the sweet spot.
This one came from my father, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.
Humility Is Tremendous by Charlie “Tremendous” Jones
“I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility.” - John Ruskin
“Don’t be so humble; you are not that good.” - Golda Meir
I remember hearing a speech over forty years ago by Tom Watson, who was the president of IBM and who, at that time, was the standard of excellence in everything. His opening remark was on how he reached the top. He smiled and said, “I was born the son of the founder…” I would have been impressed with his message regardless of that statement, but his humility touched me.
One of the Master Speaker's greatest tools and one that you should keep in mind as you prepare and deliver every speech is humility. This quality will shape and flavor every word and idea you express. A great illustration of this point is the young seminarian who was zealously planning his first sermon. He had written and rewritten his great sermon on what was wrong with the world, and he had all the answers. He continued to rehearse and prepare for the big day when the congregation would see how good he was.
Well, the big day arrived. He proudly marched to the pulpit and began to deliver his message. Almost immediately, he realized that being in the pulpit with all the eyes staring at him was quite different from reading in front of a mirror. In a few minutes, he began to realize that he was in trouble; he began to panic, and his throat became dry. His heart was pounding; the sweat started to come; he began to wish there was a trapdoor behind the pulpit and a push button that would allow him to drop out of sight. But there was no trapdoor or push button, so he said a hasty benediction.
Beaten, discouraged, dejected, head hanging down, he left the platform. As he walked the aisle, an old-timer slipped his arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Son, had you gone up like you came down, you could have come down the way you went up.”
I've lived this illustration a thousand times. It is good to realize humiliation can be a good experience if you accept it in the right spirit. If you don't, you will find arrogance will take the place of your humility. If this happens to you, don't worry; a dose of honesty and humility will help you get back on track.
"If a man's faults were written on his forehead, he would draw his hat over his
eyes."—Anonymous.
"It's easy to be humble if you are honest."—Charlie 'Tremendous' Jones.
This week, I had the privilege of teaching a class on Servant Leadership, a style of leadership my father lived so well. At its core, Servant Leadership is about putting others first—ensuring they are seen with value and dignity. As Robert K. Greenleaf, the founder of the movement, once said, “The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” That absence of self-focus is what transforms followers into the true measure of a leader’s greatness.
