But Can You Backflip in the Boardroom?: Welcome Humility

Humility is a powerful tool for people who aggressively seek success: When you allow your accomplishments to speak for themselves, you are likely to try to accomplish greater and greater things so they have a bigger and bigger voice.

Carey Hart is a superstar of freestyle motocross.  His father bought him his first motocross bike when he was four with the hope of spending quality time with him, but Carey got hooked and the father-son pastime turned into his passion. In 1998, Carey led the way in making freestyle motocross a sport worth watching and worth money to the people who participated and the companies that sponsored it.  He has invented the most extraordinary moves the sport has ever seen, even becoming a featured part of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” 

Carey’s head didn’t swell even as his collection of medals and firsts grew through the years. Despite the feats that distinguished him forever from every other person in his sport, he knew that a backflip on a 250cc bike meant zero in a business environment. As a business owner, he knew he had to stay true to his focus and direction, and fortunately, he had the good sense and humility to realize that he could only do that with the help of people who could do the equivalent of that same backflip, in the boardroom.

He credits his dad with teaching him how to go about pursuing success in every venue: “I get my work ethic from my dad. He’s always kept me very humble and grounded. I grew up a construction worker’s kid and I still am. I’m not going to get all wrapped up in a bunch of crap about 15 minutes of fame.”

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