Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is one of the richest people in the world. According to Forbes, he is worth $161.8 billion. At his level, he could easily delegate every small task. Yet, Huang has repeatedly said that no task is beneath him. In a 2025 interview with Stanford Graduate School of Business, which was reported by Fortune and recently resurfaced on X, Huang reflected on his humble beginnings and how they shaped his approach to leadership.Huang moved from Taiwan to the U.S. at age nine without his parents. As a teenager, he worked at Denny’s as a dishwasher. “I cleaned a lot of toilets. I’ve cleaned more toilets than all of you combined, and some of them you just can’t unsee,” he told Stanford, as reported by Fortune. Even then, Huang never shied away from work others might consider beneath them.His story shows that humility is not just a personal trait—it is a career advantage. Here are five reasons why humility should be a guiding principle for every young professional:
Humility builds respect
When you take on tasks without complaint, people notice. Huang explained that if someone asks for help, he tries to contribute. “If you send me something and you want my input on it, and I can be of service to you, and in my review of it, share with you how I reason through it, I’ve made a contribution to you,” he said, according to Fortune.Respect in the workplace is earned, and humility helps you earn it.
You learn from every task
Even seemingly menial jobs teach valuable lessons. Huang’s time cleaning dishes and toilets instilled discipline, patience, and attention to detail. These small tasks prepared him for bigger responsibilities later in life. No job is meaningless; every task offers a chance to learn.
Collaboration becomes easier
Sharing your thought process helps others understand new ways to solve problems. Huang emphasizes that helping others reason through challenges empowers them. In his words, reasoning through something with someone allows them to “see how I reason through something, and by reasoning, as you know, how someone reasons through something empowers you,” as reported by Fortune. Humility fosters collaboration and strengthens teams.
Leaders inspire by example
Huang’s work ethic convinced investors to give him a chance, even when his early ideas were questioned. At LSI Logic, his pitch for a chip that could enable 3D graphics on PCs was called “one of the worst elevator pitches” by his boss, Wilfred Corrigan. Yet Corrigan recognized Huang’s dedication and connected him with Don Valentine, the founder of Sequoia Capital, which helped launch Nvidia. Leading by example earns loyalty and trust.
Growth comes from challenges
Huang’s journey was far from smooth. From humble beginnings to building a $4.5 trillion chip empire, he faced rejection and skepticism along the way. Humility allowed him to accept criticism, learn, and improve. For young professionals, staying grounded helps accelerate growth because it keeps them open to learning at every stage.Jensen Huang’s story shows that humility is a strength, not a weakness. For students and early-career professionals, the lesson is clear: respect every task, learn from every experience, and lead by example. Success is not just about talent or vision; it is about character, persistence, and the willingness to roll up your sleeves.