Own your Numerator

When the numerator is greater than the denominator, growth happens.?Let me explain.

A week ago, I was asked to share a short burst of about 5 minutes with our colleagues in the East Asia region under the theme of ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity’. The topic couldn’t have been closer to my heart.

I’ve spent 23 years in Hong Kong, most of that time in large local organisations where I was the only person of Indian origin. During this time, I’ve always been lucky to work with leaders who trusted me with the platform to not only grow but also groom the next generation. Combine that with a constant endeavor to own my numerators, I am where I am today.

Sharing the summary of my 5-minute-burst here.

Denominators are the fixed aspects of our lives. As we pursue our careers there are times where we don’t have our ‘old school network’, where we didn’t grow up or where our natural self contrasts with our surroundings, our denominators tend to start diminishing our confidence and ambition, thus leading to a loss of hope, and creating depression. These denominators can include Color, Ethnicity, Expression (or Less), Speak (Up / Down ), Dress, Food ; Economic, Education , Religion, Orientation and so many others..

Let us now think about our numerators, things that we as individuals can exercise control over, even if only partially. Most of us work hard and have ‘growth mindset’ to be where we are. In my 5-minute-burst, I focused on the ‘reciprocity ring’, which is based on Give and Take, by Adam Grant. This is based on the principle of paying it forward, while creating and cementing high-quality connections.

If we were to look at expanding our numerators through the lens of the reciprocity ring:

·??????Be competitive, not cutthroat. Our success doesn’t sustain if we focus on bringing someone else down.

·??????Pay it forward. No one is too busy to help others. Remember to be genuinely helpful to people even if they can’t do absolutely any good to you.

·??????Human beings underestimate the kindness of others. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, many a times you will be pleasantly surprised.

So basically, own your numerators. You are in control of them. Whether you realize your ambition or not in a given time, you will feel successful, but more importantly, happy and grateful.

And remember. Every time you find that your denominators are causing fatigue and loss of hope, focus on increasing your numerators exponentially.