Own My Growth

Helping folks with practical tips to manage themselves better

Embrace Solitude

Many feel uncomfortable with the idea of solitude. But, it is fundamental to any creative problem solving. ​


Daily Interactions

Our daily interactions are a key indicator of future success—improving the quality of these connections drives better outcomes.


Weekend Story-The Priest And Three Questions

Priest and three questions

Once upon a time, a priest on a walking tour in pre-revolutionary Russia was confronted by a soldier as he entered the town. The soldier pointed his bayonet at the priest and called out,  The priest was unfazed. Instead of Read more…


Beware Of The Curse Of Knowledge

curse of knowledge

In 1990, Elizabeth Newton, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University, did a study to check how confident people were about communicating some message to someone and how successful they were in getting the message across to the recipient.  In the Read more…


The Privilege Of Pressure

When no one relies on you, when no one expects something from you, it often means you are irrelevant. There is no pressure in irrelevance. In contrast, when you are relevant, there is naturally some pressure, because your decisions matter Read more…


“The Work”-Questioning The Mind

The Work

I’ve always been drawn to meditation. Not in a very disciplined, structured way… but as a way to keep coming back to myself. To slow things down. To see things a little more clearly. And I’m always looking for ways Read more…


Energy Givers Vs Energy Takers

energy giver

Every day, we step into other people’s energy. At home. At work. On calls. In meetings. Over messages. Even in silence. And the more I observe life, the more I feel that it is, among other things, an energy system. Read more…


That’s Too Expensive

Too Expensive

When a prospective client says, “That’s too expensive,” what they mean is that the story you’ve told them so far about your solution and the reputation you claim your product has doesn’t match the price you are trying to pitch. Read more…


On Standing On Someone’s Shoulders

standing on shoulders

Whatever I am today, in some measure, rests on someone else’s sacrifice, trust, teaching, patience, correction, or generosity. My parents. A teacher. A boss. A friend. A colleague. Nobody gets anywhere entirely on their own. Someone gives you a break. Read more…


Weekend Story-Aim Ahead

Aim Ahead

There’s this old Irish archer named Finn. His students would watch him practice and be completely confused. The man would aim at what looked like empty space—and still hit his target every single time. One day, Cormac couldn’t take it Read more…


People Don’t Judge Ideas. They Judge You

They judge you

We like to believe people judge ideas on merit.They don’t.They judge the person first. Think about it.The same idea, presented by two different people, can get completely different reactions. One gets nodded through. The other gets questioned, picked apart, even Read more…


You Don’t Find Time. You Take It.

Find Time

Friends often ask me how I find the time. To build. To write. To learn. To stay on top of things. The assumption is that somewhere, magically, extra hours appear. They don’t. Nothing changes in the day. The same 24 Read more…


What Do You Want?

what you want

One of the simplest places to watch bad decision-making in action is a group lunch plan. A few colleagues decide to step out. Someone says, “Let’s do Mexican.”Immediately, someone says, “I had Mexican last night.”Another says, “What about salads?”Someone else Read more…


Discomfort Of The Right Answer

Right answer

We look for the “right answer” because it brings clarity. It helps us move, improves outcomes, and tells us what to do next. But the right answer also creates discomfort. It exposes who is wrong and forces accountability. That is Read more…