humble and effective

How to be humble and effective. See Barry Sanders the football player. In this interview. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFTqKokC6KA

And talked about here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmR2epMU_xU

One commentor wrote:

"It’s weird to see a player who was so dynamic and exciting on the field, be such a low-key, mild mannered and genuinely humble dude off the field."

What he's getting at is that Mr. Sanders was an usually exciting player. He ran all over the place, cutting left and right, defenders tripping over their own feet trying to catch him. He had such an explosive style. Yet, he was a very humble man. He never spiked the ball in the end zone. He handed the ball to the referee and sat down on the sidelines. In this interview, he joked that it was because he didn't have enough 'rhythm' to put on a good dance, but we know from other comments of his that he did this out of respect for and as influenced by his father who told him to act with dignity. Act like you have been in the end zone before. Even here he doesn't boast about that or pontificate as it would be a criticism to nearly all the other players who do dance around in the end zone.

Amazingly, Sanders is only five feet and eight inches tall, which is smaller then the average man and tiny for a football player. Maybe that helped along his humility. But it could have produced a Napoleon complex as well, where the short guy acts brashly as if that would make him seem taller. But that's not what Barry did.

You can do this is a yid too, be very humble but get a lot done, even be a leader. Moshe rabbeinu did that. Avraham did too. Those would be the prime examples. But since none of us have met them, I show Barry as a kind of living example of a humble yet dynamic person in his way. The wise man learns from everything.

In a way, it's easier for a gentile to be humble. Harder and easier. It's easier because he has a simpler life. He can just work and fish. It's harder in that their souls, while still in God's image and capable of greatness, are not as lofty or connected to Divinity. So there's a challenge to middos. But a Jew is capable of such greatness, and he senses it. Arrogance can follow. Today, where yidden in general are less connected to Hashem, there are many with arrogance problems. Particularly, as the frum world is based in New York and Israel, arrogance has become a part of the style of many. So it's helpful to see good examples of humility from wherever they may come.\\

Here's another, Dale Murphy, a baseball player. He won 5 golden gloves and 2 consecutive Most Valuable Player awards. He hit just under 400 home runs. He was a tremendous player. Yet, he too was very humble. Hear it here; (note he is wearing shorts, for those who may find that immodest.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1QLtGqVI3I

No surprise, Dale is a religious man.

 

"Murphy's clean-living habits off the diamond were frequently noted in the media. A devout member of the Church of ... of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church),[11] Murphy did not drink alcoholic beverages, would not allow women to be photographed embracing him, and paid his teammates' dinner checks as long as alcoholic beverages were not on the tab. He also refused to give television interviews unless he was fully dressed. Murphy had been introduced to the LDS Church early in his career by teammate Barry Bonnell.[3]"|

For several years the Atlanta Constitution ran a weekly column, wherein Murphy responded to young fans' questions and letters. In 1987 he shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year" award with seven others, characterized as "Athletes Who Care", for his work with numerous charities, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Georgia March of Dimes and the American Heart Association.

One of his more memorable incidents was reminiscent of a scene from the classic black-and-white baseball film The Pride of the Yankees:

Before a home game against San Francisco on June 12, 1983, Murphy visited in the stands with Elizabeth Smith, a six-year-old girl who had lost both hands and a leg when she stepped on a live power line. After Murphy gave her a cap and a T shirt, her nurse innocently asked if he could hit a home run for Elizabeth. "I didn't know what to say, so I just sort of mumbled 'Well, O.K.,' " says Murphy. That day he hit two homers and drove in all the Braves' runs in a 3–2 victory.[12]

He was ultimately granted several honors because of his integrity, character, and sportsmanship, including the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1985), "Sportsman of the Year" (1987), Roberto Clemente Award (1988), Bart Giamatti Community Service Award (1991), and World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame (1991 induction). (Wikipedia)

These are exceptions of course. Many athletes are not what you'd call humble people. They brag, they throw the ball at each other's heads. In general we don't look there for role models.