My work builds my values

Purpose, Mission, Vision, Culture, Values – they all require work!

After back-to-back travels, two weeks in India followed by a busy week at GITEX in Dubai, I am back in the UK. It has been an emotional rollercoaster – celebrating with colleagues in India and engaging with progressive customers in Dubai.?

Travel has been a constant throughout my career, and I am grateful for the opportunities, lessons, and experiences from all the places I have visited, stayed, and lived.

A highlight of my trip to India was our company event in Goa, a curated experience that was truly unforgettable. I am still buzzing from the positive energy and time spent with my colleagues.

At home, as I shared photos and videos, my son – who is currently apprenticing – asked where I developed my values and how InspireXT shapes its culture. It was a proud moment to see him inspired and curious about our company’s approach.

Reflecting on how my values have been shaped, it is clear that different people and experiences have played pivotal roles. But ultimately, it is my work that has provided a safe place to learn, acquire skills, and discover my value system. Over time, as experiences unfolded, I realised that someone has always been there, helping me become a better version of myself.

But the key? I had to ‘do my work.’ No one else could do it for me.

I have drawn inspiration from the following personas as I reflected and written this article.

Parents

Parents are often our first teachers, shaping our core values. My mother instilled in me the importance of gratitude, courage and fairness. Despite growing up in a large family, she managed to balance everything brilliantly, keeping us focused on our tasks while earning respect both within our family and in the community. She didn’t let us feel any less because we lacked some material things and often helped others while looking after her family.?

Teachers

Teachers reinforce our values through the lessons they teach. I remember how they encouraged me to share my knowledge with others, pushing me from competition to collaboration. That shift, from competing to working together, is a powerful lesson we all must learn.

Friends, Colleagues, and Acquaintances

Throughout life, we meet many people, but true friends help us reflect and grow. A good friend acts as a mirror, helping us improve. Many of my friendships have developed through work, where I have learned invaluable lessons, like investing in others' success. One acquaintance taught me that “every business is a consumer business”, a reminder that while contracts exist between businesses, relationships are built between people.?Trust is an important value for the work I do and gaining and maintaining trust requires constant work.

Coaches and Mentors

Coaches and mentors have played a crucial role in shaping my values, asking the right questions at the right time. They help uncover values that might be hidden or clouded by confusion. Learning to manage my ego has been a great discovery for me. By accepting certain things, I take the first step towards transforming them. It is never late!

Institutions, Resources and People

As we progress through our careers, our values develop alongside the organisations we contribute to. Working with or for different people strengthens not only our personal value systems but also the values of the institutions we help shape. This requires continuous effort - living, acting, and taking ownership.

One question everyone can ask just now "how many people's career I am responsible for"? if you answered NONE, then you need to keep asking the question, till you get your answer to be at least ONE.

If your answer is ONE, great, that's your career, now make it your mission to add one more, and one more later, and another one later. It is only by doing the work and dedicating yourself to service, will you discover something new and life will serve you well.

One way we are doing something unique at InspireXT is by letting our people develop a culture of Excellence, by embracing principles of Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. It will take time and we must do our work to keep it going. Anything and anyone that's important, takes constant work, and the more work we put in, the more we love it, it is that plain and simple.

My constant work at InspireXT is to remain true to my values, to InspireXT values and my ask of people that I have hired and I speak with, is to remain true to theirs. This does require making decisions, tough howsoever.

We must be willing to do our work, to protect the very culture we are building. No one else could do it for us.

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In Summary

Our values evolve continuously, shaped by parents, teachers, friends, colleagues, mentors, and the institutions we work for. But it is up to us to put in the effort to learn and strengthen our value system. How do you build and strengthen yours? Tag people who you want to thank or remind of their contribution in your life.