It's hard not to like humility and determination.
I recently met with a barrister for a business related matter. I had some preconceived ideas of what he might be like from our email correspondence. I was surprised to meet a man who was small in stature, with a warm demeanour. He spoke softly but had a nice enthusiastic edge to his voice. His manner of speech indicated to me he’d be more likeable than I had first anticipated.
We were meeting over a legal matter pertaining to digital ownership. As the conversation progressed, I asked him if digital in business had impacted his work. He nodded and said many people his age had moved away from specific areas of law now relating to digital and in some cases had even retired. He mentioned that he’d decided to stick at it, but confessed he was a slow learner. He jokingly cited his slowpoke credentials through the disclosure of the years he’d spent at university. As someone who doesn’t fit any usual academic mold myself, I told him I could relate to his situation. I was surprised by his humility, especially due to the field in which he works.
Interesting enough, as the conversation around the legal matter continued, he thought a humble approach would be the best course of action. He shared some advice which he received from his father, ‘always salute the man with the stripes’ he said. Sound advice which reminded me of similar principals I had learnt growing up.
As our meeting neared its end, I asked a little more about his life and he disclosed he had only recently returned to work after a significant loss in his life. I shared my condolences with him and asked what motivated him to return. He replied the concern of his friends who persistently encouraged him to resume his work.
Memorable character. It’s hard not to like humility and determination.
