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…


Good Choice, Bad Outcome

Good choice

We judge our choices by how they turn out. If it worked, we call it a good decision. If it did not, we beat ourselves up for getting it wrong. But that is the wrong way to keep score. Just Read more…


Backwards

Backwards

I have a friend who started out on my team. We spent years working closely, solving problems side by side, and somewhere along the way, the working relationship became more like family. He has gone on to build a remarkable Read more…


Look Up, Not Down

look up

I tell my team this often. The easiest way to feel good about yourself is to find people who are less than you and stand next to them. Less skilled, less successful, less far along. Next to them, you look Read more…


The Slippery Excuse

slippery excuse

One bad day is fine. Everyone has them. The danger is what comes next. Skip the workout once, it’s a rest day. Skip it again, it’s a pattern. The excuse I used yesterday becomes easier to use today, and easier Read more…


Weekend Story-The Three Messengers

the three messengers

A king had to get an urgent message to the commander of his northern fort before sunset. He called three messengers and handed each of them the same sealed letter. “Leave now,” he said. “Whoever reaches first will be rewarded.” Read more…


Define It Precisely

Define it precisely

The more precisely you define a problem, the easier it becomes to solve. Think about how this plays out at work. “The project is struggling” could mean a hundred different things. The team is overloaded. The scope keeps changing. Two Read more…


Just The First Step

first step

Early in my career, when it came to taking decisions, I was a mess of uncertainty. Was I doing the right thing? What if I made a mistake? I would constantly keep seeking validation before I moved. Until a mentor Read more…


Get The Diagnosis Right

Diagnosis

I had two separate conversations with two colleagues today and ended up saying the same thing to both. If the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment will be wrong too. We spend most of our energy on the treatment. What should Read more…


Ownership

ownership

The moment you decide your problems are yours to solve, you stop being a passenger in your own life. Because as long as the problem belongs to someone else, so does the solution. You hand over your power every time Read more…


What Makes You Lose Track Of Time?

lose track of time

This morning, I started working around 7:30 on something that needed thinking, connecting dots and solving a problem. Before I knew it, it was almost 11. I had been at it for three and a half hours and had not Read more…