“Be happy with who you are but strive to be more”, personal belief etched in the core of my being.

There is no versus—being and becoming coexist in balance.

You are where you are, and you are enough. Accepting yourself is crucial, but this should never become an excuse for not growing. Why would you settle for a lesser version of yourself in the future?

Think of it as a vector anchored to a point:

  • Origin: where you stand today
  • Direction: where you’re heading
  • Magnitude: how fast you’re moving

Be happy with who you are. Aim up, set meaningful goals. Focus on the rate of improvement to reach a brighter future.

Embedded in Culture

Not just a personal philosophy, this belief captures the essence of positive culture I’m trying to establish in my spheres of influence.

For culture, be happy with who you are translates to:

  • Creating safe space
  • Celebrating differences
  • Assuming positive intent

And, strive to be more, works through:

  • Pursuing continuous improvement
  • Celebrating mistakes and learning from them
  • Sharing feedback to grow together

Being and becoming is an individual’s point of view. Everyone is on their own growth path, competing only with themselves. But no person is an island. Positive culture embeds this individual growth in an environment where everyone learns from each other.

Much simpler to write about than to live day by day. Nonetheless, this principle is at the core of a humane high-performance culture that is worth striving towards.

Be while you’re becoming. Help others to do the same.

Thank you for reading the second entry in the Leadership Tidbits series, where I share insights from my meandering experience. Check out previous post: Managing Motivation.

For a deeper exploration of culture, listen to The Human Side of Tech Leadership podcast.

If you enjoyed this post, you should share your details for the upcoming newsletter: