Humility is not acquired, but one must be born with it, may be the first response to the above title. There is a truth in that belief. But we may know that several such statements -- a leader is born, intelligence does not grow, the throne is not for us, you must be born into the royal family - are giving way to the modern realities. In modern times, all kinds of people are becoming heads of state, PhD is awarded to people not innately intelligent based on training. It means leadership and intelligence are acquired. Humility too can be acquired if one is very serious about it. Obedience and humility have a lot in common. One can be mistaken for the other. Obedience is physical submissiveness. Humility is the inner knowledge that MAN is a trifle before the world, Nature or God. Obedience can be called physical humility; humility can be described as spiritual obedience.
As we invoke the Spirit, so we can acquire humility. Aggressive expressions of the ego such as arrogance, abuse, pride, assertion, and superiority complex are no longer tolerated in public life. Public life, especially at very high levels demands civilised behaviour. One is compelled to be humble in public. One may pretend to be humble, but that is necessary. One who puts up that good behaviour in public will ordinarily compensate it at home or in private, because the public behaviour is not true. If he does try to be as humble in private as he appears to be in public, real humility arises in him. This is essential, but not enough. More than half the complaints in politics and public life are because people are assertive and egoistic. What has come to be known as office politics is half full of this vulgar exhibition of one's ego that protrudes.
Life rewards not your behaviour, but what you are inwardly. It is not enough you are humble in public or private, because it is only a behaviour. Humility must be acquired as inner character for it to be of value in Spirit. It is not enough it is exhibited as outer behaviour. The moment one becomes truly humble inside, life and its abundance rushes towards him. That is the point of transition from a life of misfortune to one of good fortune. If fortune smiles on him it means he has grown humble inwardly. This is luck, but not organised luck. Man is more than satisfied in luck engulfing him in life, though it is unconscious.