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…


Energy Follows Meaning

energy

Today was Day 2 of the ceremonies before my son’s wedding. The day of Haldi and Mangala Snanam. In a Vedic wedding, this is one of the rituals that prepares the groom for marriage. Turmeric is ground and applied by Read more…


The Grace Of A Clean Apology

apology

Today was the first day of our five-day wedding celebrations. The house was full. The rituals had begun, and all my close family members were there. The day started early and moved with the usual mix of joy, movement, noise, Read more…


The Work No One Assigns

work no one assigns

It’s the week leading up to my son’s wedding, and I am on a work break, fully engrossed in the preparations. My daily reflections are naturally leaning towards what I am noticing around me. In a wedding house, some of Read more…


Preparation And Presence

preparation and presence

I am in Hyderabad. My son’s wedding is days away, and the house is full. Lists everywhere. Rooms, food, transport, rituals, clothes, gifts, timings, elders. Every day something gets added. Every hour something shifts. We brought my parents from Bangalore; Read more…


Weekend Story-The Empty Boat

empty boat

A man was rowing across a river before sunrise. The water was quiet enough that every dip of the oar sounded larger than it was. Halfway across, through the thin morning mist, he saw another boat drifting towards him. At Read more…


People Follow Incentives

people follow incentives

I watch people make the same mistake all the time. Junior and senior alike. They walk into a conversation trying to persuade someone, armed with logic. Here is why I am right. Here is what you should do. Here is 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…