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by Lawrence Lin Murata

Whether it be which school you attend, your position at a company, or for seemingly irrelevant details, being judged is unavoidable. Judgment, to a certain extent, is natural, and is a part of our daily lives. The problem, however, is when people become too proud and arrogant, and misleadingly place themselves in a position above others. Great businessmen, like Flavio Augusto and Marcel Telles (two of the richest billionaires in Brazil), and other successful people understand that we always need to be open to advice, not to be mistaken with lacking confidence, but being humble enough to ask for help. In a society where, more often than not, extreme confidence gets in the way of asking for help, those who are mature enough to actually do so are at an extreme advantage.

When I was in a meeting at BTG Pactual (a multinational leading investment bank), one of the directors asked me, “In what do you think you can improve?” I replied, “Everything, we can always improve ourselves in everything. We are never good enough.” That was when an old memory came to his mind — he told me that, when he was working with Marcel Telles, he asked Marcel why he worked so much despite already having so much money. Marcel gave him the exact same answer that it’s always possible to improve and to learn more. We should never stop learning and think that we know more than others. Something I admire at BIG Pactual is the informal environment and the way they value meritocracy and results above any judgments. Andre Esteves, the CEO, works on the same desk, sits on the same chair, and lives in the same environment as the rest of his employees.

Get rid of judgments and labels, and look for advice. Be humble and noble enough to learn more and recognize that we never know enough. Whenever I visit my school, I spend a good amount of time exchanging ideas with the teaching staff. When I started Apoie Um Talento, I went to my school to receive advice from professors, coordinators, janitors and even the president of the school. Asking for opinions and advice has always been invaluable to me. The moment we think we know everything and stop being students of our surroundings is the moment we stop growing. Never stop learning.