In-House Counsel

A Nuanced Kind Of Humility

Sometimes, being driven involves more humility than confidence.

By  
on

Before you brush this off based on its title, it isn’t what you think. This is not a generic article telling you not to be cocky or not to be the stereotypical arrogant lawyer from the movies. This is about the way that humility manifests in various attributes that benefit you and improve your overall work experience. Sometimes, being driven involves more humility than confidence, because you have to be willing to “hustle” and network, and it can be humbling to try and fail and have to try again.

The 2008 crash humbled a lot of people, one of whom was Julie Honour. She had just been accepted at a great law firm, only to be made redundant on her first day, left alone in a city where she had bills to pay. She felt incredibly vulnerable but ultimately made the decision to embrace that vulnerability. She started telling everyone that she was looking for a job while speaking about the value that she could add. It took relentless determination — which she called “scrappiness” –- as well as an incredible amount of humility to acknowledge that what she needed was more important than her ego. In our interview, she speaks more about how scrappiness is the use of creativity to address vulnerability.

Vulnerability, however, is not an experience that is unique to Julie or to you. In fact, the greatest form of vulnerability has been experienced by people in groups that were previously disadvantaged. Today, they are still trying to shed themselves of that dark legacy –- this is why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have become crucial parts of business today. DEI should not be window-dressing, nor just another title given to “add more value.” DEI is a weighty responsibility focused on taking actions toward sustainable change; it aims to reshape the collective consciousness. I can guarantee that you will encounter it at some point, and I implore you to have the humility to approach it with an open mind. DEI is meant to be a lifestyle that shapes your outlook, not a checklist to be completed. It is not singular, it is sustainable, a continuous process. If you are someone who strives for excellence, then you should be someone who strives for equity. According to Robyn Frank, an experienced professional in DEI, “Diversity always does better.”

I had another interesting conversation regarding the intersection of cultures in my interview with Aviram Gavish. Aviram is an in-house lawyer who specializes in international deals and cross-cultural teams. Over the years, he has managed to complement his wealth of experience with an equal amount of wisdom; he shared some fascinating insights with me. He cannot place enough emphasis on relationships. I believe that every relationship –- professional or otherwise –- is, first, a personal relationship, and Aviram wholeheartedly concurs. Relationships are crucial, and, within them, the art of listening is underappreciated and underutilized. Listening enables you to understand the needs and backgrounds of the others involved, as well as help to develop a better relationship with them. It is usually due to our lack of humility that we fail to listen, merely waiting to speak. That’s why Aviram takes it one step further and makes a point of having one-on-one meetings with each person in his team -– as well as the other party’s team! It gives him more control over their first impression of him, allowing him to be more authentic and strengthening relationships right off the bat.

Sponsored

Do not let humility become a clichéd word — make it personal. Reflect on your work life and relationships, giving some thought to how humility can improve them (or how it already does). It influences your work ethic, your ethics in terms of ethnicities, and the cohesion of your teams. Humility is an undercurrent seen only in the direction the ship is pulled. It is subtle, yet nuanced, and undoubtedly powerful.

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

Sponsored

Topics

, ,