Self-Reflection — Leadership Lessons to My Younger Self
You will never be a finished product because you are a human. Growth mindset (a.k.a a beginner’s mind) and adaptability will carry you in your professional career and personal relationships.
Dear Younger Self,
This is your older self writing to you from the future to reflect on life & leadership experiences you will learn. If you are wondering why you need to hear this, wait till you finish reading this letter.
Stay authentic, be yourself and dream your own dreams. You will feel immense pressure to be like others, especially in regards to startups, entrepreneurship and leadership. Take time to choose your own path.
Self-reflect and look inwards more often. This will help you build self-awareness and self-regulation to strengthen your emotional intelligence and to better adapt to changing circumstances.
Practice more humility and believe deeply in giving and sharing authentic feedback. Be vulnerable and share your failures so people see you as real and true. Be kind to yourself and less critical of others. Be more objective to help others grow.
Invest in developing a healthy and high performing culture. Teams that laugh together are also not afraid to have hard conversations and hold each other accountable. Don’t be afraid to lose people along the way.
Minimize aiming for perfection on planning & execution. Instead, focus on alignment and hearing everyone’s opinions, ideas and concerns to help with faster delivery.
People leadership is the hardest, most rewarding and deeply enriching activity you will do in your professional career. Take time to invest in it.
You will be challenged with the hiring endeavor, play the long game and hire the right people that you can nurture and learn from. They will help you think differently and stretch your limits. The value diverse people bring to the mix is worth it.
To be a great leader, glance backwards often to assess what legacy you are leaving and to help you move forward. You will make mistakes, share them early and often with pride.
Be passionate about what you believe and live by your core values, avoid looking upwards for instructions or downwards for gratitude.
Find yourself someone who will give you the tough messages and guide you, pay attention and reflect.
You will never be a finished product because you are a human. Growth mindset (a.k.a a beginner’s mind) and adaptability will carry you in your professional career and personal relationships.
Invest in your well being, without self-sustenance, you won’t be able to help others.
Finally, finish reading the book, Autobiography of a Yogi, as early as possible in your life. This will give you a different perspective on life. You will cherish it.
Buckle up, you are going to have a blast in the journey ahead!
Truly Yours,
Your Older Self
