Know yourself, grow yourself

‘Know yourself to grow yourself’ is a concept which centers on understanding your fear-based self, and how you respond to growth.

Rowena Millward, the principal and co-founder at MacMORGAN Next Practise Growth and the author of Uncomfortable Growth and Insights to Enlighten, spoke to The HR Leader about how this concept can help you thrive in your career.

“It's only when we actually step back and understand our small self, and they're all the bits where we are scared, we're fearful, we have triggers from things that have happened in the past, we know we have triggers or limitations, that the small self is very much fear-based and it's the part that holds us back,” explained Ms Millward.

“Our best self is the growth-driven part. That's the part where all the good stuff lives. When we're growing, we're loving it, we're learning, we're thriving, and we're also curious and open.”

“The thing that people, I think, sometimes forget is that these two parts of us, the small self and your best self, they coexist."

Ms Millward noted that in order to get the most out of yourself, you have to know how to manage your small self so it cannot hold you back.

“One of the most powerful exercises that anyone can do is to actually create your own life timeline. Whatever your age is, I'm almost 50, so I might do it in 10 years, so I'll have that laid out, and think about what have been the best moments or the memorable, positive parts and put them above the line."

“Then below the line, put the hard stuff, the struggles or the curve balls or the things that were really difficult. When we actually lay it out, a longer timeline of our own life, we can see that both good things and hard things happen, often in the same time frame, but also, we can see how you don't ever stay either above the line or below the line forever.”

The concept encourages people to take the good with the bad, and use the bad to better yourself. Learning from your mistakes can help your career thrive. Similarly, embracing this vulnerability will garner connection with others.

“Vulnerability is about connection. Everyone has a small self and best self. By hiding it, we're actually holding back our whole self. It's just so important that people feel that they can be honest, that they're not having to deal with hard things on their own and that they're able to get advice and it feels normalised."

“Even the most successful people still have these fears and self-doubts and confidence issues even though they're hugely successful and appear to have it all.”

The transcript of this podcast episode, when quoted above, was slightly edited for publishing purposes. The full conversation with Rowena Millward is below.

Jack Campbell

Jack is the editor at HR Leader.