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MOTIVATION | GROWTH | SUCCESS
Be. Do. Have.
The Life-Changing Power of Three Simple Words
At Microsoft, our vast organization is divided into smaller, more focused groups. Recently, I attended an All Hands meeting for my org, and it left a lasting impact on me. Towards the end, our senior manager shared a beautiful thought drawn from his years of learning.
He spoke about living by a simple yet profound principle: “Be. Do. Have.” It resonated deeply with me and can be summed up as:
- Be the person you want to become.
- Do the hard work it takes to get there.
- Have the rewards that naturally follow.
Too often, we get this order wrong. We chase the reward first, expecting it to bring fulfilment, but it rarely works that way.
My senior manager’s words reminded me that focusing on results can sometimes hinder us.
When we are overly worried about outcomes — visibility, recognition, or what others think — we tend to fall short.
But when we let go of that fear and focus on doing our best work, the results often exceed expectations.
He mentioned that he noticed a pattern — when he is not worried about the outcome, he often does his best job.