Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.

Quote by C.S. Lewis

Yesterday, real estate professionals in Grand Rapids, MI had the unique opportunity to participate in the Survival Strategies Summit which included the tagline "It's a Jungle Out There!".  The event drew over 400 individuals from different segments of the real estate industry although the vast majority were real estate agents and brokers.

The speakers included Dr. Jerry Teplitz and Jeremy Conaway the President of RECON Intelligence Services. 

Conquering the Jungle...

Conaway urged agents to understand the importance of taking charge of their own success and gaining a realistic appreciation of the fact that we are all in this together...the broker's success was and will continue to be intertwined with the agents they supervise.

It was interesting to hear this in light of recent trends which have to some degree pitted agents against their brokers and vice versa. 

For much of the past decade, the focus has been on agent centric models which allowed for greater autonomy and sometimes marginalized broker authority and control. 

These events occured against a backdrop in which the brokers continued to carry a burgeoning weight of liability yet had less control over the agents who worked with them.

This new found independence contributed in some measure to the dearth of training as many brokers no longer mandated agents to attend company meetings and to some degree abdicated the responsibility of training and supervision. And to be frank, with profit margins eroding, many brokers simply could not afford to place resources into education and ongoing supervision.

Taking a postive charge...

During the presentation Dr. Teplitz used behavioral kinesiology to demonstrate how powerful our resentments can be.  He proved to all present that not only were we affecting others through negativity, even when it was unspoken, but more importantly we were doing great damage to ourselves.  Watching how the body weakened through his exercises with various members of the audience was unsettling. 

Although many were initially skeptical about some of the information, it was clear that what Dr. Teplitz was saying had tremendous implications for our well being and professional success. It also made me think about how beneficial the practise of humility can be as a precursor to maintaining a positive attitude. 

What is practical humility?

Humility is defined as 'the state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth;"  When we are humble, we recognize the true importance of others in our lives and do so with gratitude. We also take responsiblity for how our actions impact the lives of others.

Practical humilty enables us to act with integrity regardless of whether we are observed or not.  Freedom from pride gives us the capacity to have an ongoing learning experience with life...not thinking that we know it all while missing the emerging lessons which occur when we are humble  and observant. 

Humility protects us from making mistakes which we later regret and enables us to quickly admit error because we are able to discern the truth of our intentions more clearly.  Humility is really the salve which greases the gears of momentum and progress by which we all strive to move forward. When we understand the nature of humility in this way, it becomes an empowering grace.

What difference does it make?

I remember a long time broker telling me that so many agents were so busy hopping for place to place that their customers who were looking for them didn't know where to find them!  Indeed, perhaps the search for greener pastures may mask what many real estate professionals would rather not face... the nagging internal crisis which continues to hamper their forward momentum in life. Humbly acknowledging and taking responsibility for actions and the results we have created is a start in the right direction.

Conaway challenged agents about the negativity that some harbor about themselves and the exterior situations which some have allowed to define their role in the  current market.  He also urged agents to think not just about themselves, but also about the welfare of their brokers.  In his words...'you'll never have a broker treat you better than the one you have today.'  I wonder how many believe this to be true...

Notes on the event can also be followed on Twitter through the hashtag #GRAR

Related Stories:

Realtors get postive view in difficult market at Survival Summit

If you'd like to watch a video by Dr. Jerry Teplitz about Behavioral Kinesiolgy, click here

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