Maximize Your Mozumility!

"I believe that every person is born with talent." ~ Maya Angelou, American Author and Poet, (B. 1928)

While I may have trademarked "Moxumility", there are many people I admire, and strive to learn from, who I believe exemplify the combination of Moxie and Humility. Sally Brundage, my former English and Theater teacher is one of those women, and Maya Angelou is another. I bet you have a few of those men and/or women in your life, too!

Having the moxie, the confidence and direction to stand up for something and/or someone (often yourself), and also exemplifying humility, the ability to step back, let others get credit, learn and grow with an appreciation for others and your surroundings, is something we all can do. Here are my top 10 ways to Maximize Your Moxumility:

10 - Be the expert in your space for your size, clients & offerings. Stay in that expertise and refer out to others in different areas of expertise.

9 - Be trusting to be trustworthy. Get a mentor, be a friend, and earn the right to be trusted over and over again.

8 - Be responsive instead of reactionary. Know that reactions lead to apologies often while response follow thought and consideration...leading to engagement.

7 - Be contagious. Network, and be someone worth knowing. Check your attitude, and ensure it's worth "spreading"!

6 - Be grateful instead of just full of "great"s. Being positive is one thing, being a Pollyanna is another...and not one of moxie or humility. While things may just be okay or good, be grateful for what you do have instead of what you don't have and go from there.

5 - Be absolutely, positively addicted to the truth!

4 - Be more interested in others than interesting to others. Be conversational with questions and not just stories, replies, and "I", "me", "my".

3 - Be about "What?" and/or "How?" over "Why?". Why keeps us in the past, where what and how allow us to move to the future.

2 - Be the product, and be the value. People will "buy" you long before they purchase a product. Know that, believe in you and your service or product, so others can "buy in"!

1 - Be an intentional example that others can sample. Practice what you promote. Volunteer. Give back. Let others "eavesdrop" on leading, success, and of course, your moxie and your humility!

So while you are filled both with moxie and humility, please remember to balance, combine and hone them with your own form of "moxumility"!