April 9, 2009
Last night I went to a fundraising reception for work and Tony Dungy was the keynote speaker. He maintained the most impressive balance of confidence - of greatness, really - and bold humility that I’ve ever noticed. His speech focused on the teachers, coaches and mentors it took to drive him to the pinnacle he stands on today. And while that’s typically big talk, he actually expounded on a few concrete occasions – like the time he quit the high school football team in a fit of obstinacy and anger and how it took an entire summer of patient guidance from an old junior high principal to coax him back in. I can’t even articulate how powerful and attractive I find humility…especially in the shared presence of talent, strength and intellect.  Any fool can brag and bluster – afraid that if they don’t highlight their own value, no one will notice.  But it takes such unrelenting bravery, such confidence and peace to choose to be humble and understated instead.

Last night I went to a fundraising reception for work and Tony Dungy was the keynote speaker. He maintained the most impressive balance of confidence - of greatness, really - and bold humility that I’ve ever noticed.

His speech focused on the teachers, coaches and mentors it took to drive him to the pinnacle he stands on today. And while that’s typically big talk, he actually expounded on a few concrete occasions – like the time he quit the high school football team in a fit of obstinacy and anger and how it took an entire summer of patient guidance from an old junior high principal to coax him back in.

I can’t even articulate how powerful and attractive I find humility…especially in the shared presence of talent, strength and intellect.  Any fool can brag and bluster – afraid that if they don’t highlight their own value, no one will notice.  But it takes such unrelenting bravery, such confidence and peace to choose to be humble and understated instead.