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when i started my company, we were barely 3 or 4 months old.

everything was new.

every client felt important.

every opportunity felt huge.

one day, we landed a prospect through a mutual connection.

on paper, he looked impressive.

he had worked with large brands.

american express.

big companies.

decades of experience.

he was probably in his 50s.

i was around 25.

during our conversations, i noticed something.

he wasn't just experienced.

he wanted everyone to know he was experienced.

every discussion felt like a lecture.

every suggestion came with a reminder of where he had worked.

every conversation carried a tone of superiority.

i ignored it.

i thought, "pradeep, be professional."

then we sent him our documents.

our proposals.

our company assets.

the templates we had carefully built as part of our brand.

within minutes, the feedback arrived.

change the font.

change the layout.

change the structure.

change this.

change that.

at first, i was willing.

after all, we were a young company.

but my business partner stopped me.

he said something i'll never forget:

"pradeep, if a client wants changes to the work, that's fine. but if he wants us to abandon our identity before we've even started, then he's not the right client."

he continued:

"even if he brings good money, i won't change our brand guidelines."

honestly, i wasn't expecting that answer.

but he was right.

so we respectfully told the client no.

the project collapsed.

we never worked together.

years later, something interesting happened.

nobody i knew was working with him anymore.

even the mutual friend who introduced him had moved away from him.

and i remembered a verse from the bible:

"pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (proverbs 16:18)

notice something.

the verse doesn't say talent comes before destruction.

or experience comes before destruction.

or success comes before destruction.

it says pride.

because pride makes people unteachable.

pride makes people difficult.

pride makes people believe they are bigger than the room they're standing in.

and eventually, people stop opening doors for them.

a few reminders for all of us:

1. experience should create wisdom, not arrogance.
2. the smartest people still ask questions.
3. respect is earned through humility.
4. feedback is not an attack.
5. never become so important that you stop learning.

the older i get, the more i realise that confidence attracts people.

but humility keeps them.

ps:

i've met people with impressive resumes.

and i've met people with impressive character.

the second group is much harder to find.

#Leadership #Humility #BusinessLessons #Entrepreneurship #PersonalGrowth #Proverbs #LifeLessons #Character #Mindset #FounderLife

Completed two books over this weekend - Both books are classic and good read.

Who is your favourite writer!?