Story Driven: You don't need to compete when you know who you are

by Bernadette Jiwa

Who are you? In a connected world of less-linear career paths and more opportunities to influence change, this is the big question of our time—the most important question anyone starting a career or a company, and building a life and a legacy, can ask. Our answers can help us to consistently act with integrity and to differentiate ourselves or our organisations by being more, not less, of who we are. But it’s a question we have stopped asking in the age of comparison. Sure, we may have done a bit of personality profiling here and there or had an offsite retreat to work on our branding and external messaging, but these attempts to label ourselves don’t often get to the heart of what makes us unique. In a digital world, as the village becomes global, it’s never been more important to have a powerful sense of identity and to avoid the temptation of just competing to win.