We at SEMARTI believe the primary obstacle to success is arrogance. The reason for choosing arrogance as the primary obstacle is because it breeds in us several attitudes that prevent us from doing what is needed to succeed. For example:
- Arrogance can instill in us the belief that we know all that is needed, and that no one is more capable than we are. This, in turn, means that we will not, or be reluctant to, seek the advice or guidance of others, since we believe no one can add value to what we already know. Thus, when we face problems or are unsure of how to proceed, arrogance will not let us turn to others for support. Ultimately, this means we will solve problems based on our limited knowledge and experience, leading us to sub-optimal solutions.
- Arrogance can have a negative effect on our success when it instills in us the belief that seeking the help or advice of others is “humiliating”. Thus, even if we do not believe we are the best, we will still not turn to others because we do not want to appear “humiliated” in their eyes. Here, again, the consequences are that we will solve problems on our own, relying on our limited knowledge rather than utilizing the greater knowledge and experience of those around us.
- Arrogance can prevent us from admitting mistakes, as this will make us look “weak” in the eyes of others. This refusal to admit mistakes means we will continue with a project, process, or idea even though we know it is wrong, and we know that the actual results will not be as expected or promised. More damaging, however, is that by continuing down the wrong path, we are hurting not only our personal performance, but also negatively impacting the organization and any others who might be depending on us.
Thus, arrogance prevents us from accepting:
- There are those who are more knowledgeable and experienced than us, from whom we can learn and benefit.
- The advice of others, since we perceive seeking such advice as “humiliating”.
- Admitting mistakes is a sign of strength and will be appreciated by those around us since it will save them a lot of time and effort both in working on the wrong solution and recovering from it.
Thus, the first driver of success is the value that will enable us to overcome our arrogance and ego. This is the value of Tawado.
Tawado is the attitude of confident humility. It grants us the confidence we need to perform our assigned responsibilities while at the same time instilling in us the humility we need to overcome, or, at least, minimize our ego and its arrogance. Thus, with Tawado we will perceive our arrogance as an obstacle to, rather than an enabler of, success, and we will strive towards overcoming it. It is the value that will enable us to accept the fact that we do not know everything; that others can be, and some most probably are, more knowledgeable than us; and that it is never wrong or too late to admit mistakes and learn from them. It is the value that will allow us to accept criticism open-heartedly, assimilate this criticism, and use it as a means for personal growth and improvement.