“From the desire of being esteemed ... From the desire of being consulted ... That others may be chosen and I set aside ... That others may be praised and I go unnoticed ... That others may be preferred to me in everything” (Litany of Humility).

The Litany of Humility has long been a favorite prayer of mine whenever I’ve had my Pieta Prayer Book along with me for holy hours. I always thought it engaging, grounding, and challenging. It resets perspective and realigns pursuit of virtue.

Yet, in recent times, as a woman in the workplace, I’ve noticed an interior struggle when reading it. If I pray it through the lens of myself as a woman, wife, and mother, I can understand it, embrace it, and aspire to it. If I am reading it through the eyes of a businesswoman, I have a difficult time trying to embody it.

How can you climb the ladder, speak out against a glass ceiling, or be a woman who takes up space if you’ve been praying for the grace to desire everything that the Litany encompasses? How can we marry the Litany of Humility with the achievement of our career goals?

Does Humility Affect Advancement?

Praying for the grace to desire that, in the opinion of the world, others would increase and I would decrease causes feelings of confusion, annoyance, and frustration to arise.

It’s a noble display of humility not to put up your hand when an applauded idea was yours in the first place. It takes utmost charity to refrain from bitterness when someone else receives a promotion after you’ve been striving for and delivering value in the hopes of obtaining one yourself. It’s a practice in love not to point out that you should have been asked first for your opinion on an issue on which you’re the expert. If we act in these ways, does it really advance our career and speak the truth about our professionalism, our expertise, and our work ethic?

I believe that there’s not an easy answer to this question. In an unhealthy working environment, you can be taken advantage of. In settings with business leaders who are grounded in Christian values, you can be respected for it while still being seen. I’ve experienced both situations and can only say that no instance will ever be perfect. You can be esteemed while overlooked and trusted while not chosen.

Striving for a Christ-centered Perspective

The beginning of the Litany opens with, “Oh Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, hear me.” The prayer is about the many ways Jesus suffered, but taken one step further, it leads us, through supplication to Christ, to deliverance from the fear of suffering in these ways and to embracing the desire for smallness.

Christ is the ultimate compass. When we look at his life, we can see that he was many different things. He was kind and loving, welcoming and gentle, holy and perfect. Yet he also didn’t refrain from speaking the truth in love, he didn’t change his message based on what people wanted to hear, and he didn’t hold back anger at something that was wrong. He is the ultimate disrupter and the ultimate perfection.

I can’t imagine that this prayer was only meant to be contained to our interior selves and how we are “in general.” That’s too comfortable and convenient. The best way I can grapple with praying it specifically with my career pursuits in mind is to take a purposeful, long, hard look at who I really am. Perhaps the best navigation we possess internally is our hearts.

Become a Leader on Purpose, and Live out Your Vocation

What is a leader? What are the traits demonstrated by leaders?

“Are leaders born or made? This is a false dichotomy — leaders are neither born nor made. Leaders choose to be leaders,” says Stephan Covey, author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

I’ve been blessed to be part of a workplace that encourages everyone to be a leader and to grow in the virtues and values paramount to leadership. That means that if something needs to be done, do it. If a situation arises, approach it. If something is amiss, address it. There is always an opportunity to demonstrate an innate ability to lead from a place of deep understanding of who you are, the value you provide, and what you are capable and worthy of.

In the end, the opinion that matters the most is that of Christ, even in the workplace. Maybe the best understanding I can offer businesswomen in praying the Litany of Humility is to do it with a profoundly sincere desire to better understand ourselves, our wants, and our motives and to grow in virtue — and then to trust that Christ will take care of the rest.

Laura Pugliano is co-founder of Ciccio's Olives, an exquisitely pure, single-origin extra virgin olive oil produced by her Italian in-laws in Calabria, Italy. She is also marketing and content strategist at the digital solutions provider Candoris, an alumna of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and most importantly, a wife and mother. Join Laura on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.