My Learnings on Managing Self-Worth in Leadership

Leadership challenges can test your self-worth, but success lies in how you show up, learn, and move forward—focusing on the process over the outcome.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠—especially when navigating large transformation programs, balancing enterprise-wide priorities, stakeholders, and partners. And let’s face it: things rarely unfold the way you envision.

Have you ever thought, 𝑨𝒎 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔? I have—more times than I’d like to admit. But over time, it wasn’t perfection that carried me through; it was resilience, trust in my abilities, and a 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭.

In a recent coaching conversation with Arun Krishnaswamy, we explored how Indic knowledge offers timeless principles to navigate these moments. Three powerful concepts—Arpana, Prasada, and Nimittha-matra—brought fresh insights into my leadership journey:

𝐀𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐚 (अर्पण) – Offer your work with conviction, focusing on excellence, and doing it for a higher purpose. Every task becomes an act of devotion when done with full commitment and the highest standards of quality.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐚 (प्रसाद) – Cultivating cheerful acceptance of outcomes, whether or not they align with your expectations. Instead of dwelling on setbacks, it’s about reflecting, learning, and crafting the next steps forward.

𝐍𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐚-𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 (निमित्तमात्र) – Understand that you are an instrument in a larger mission. While your contributions are meaningful, the outcome is often shaped by external factors beyond your control—such as the organization’s mission, decisions made by others, or unforeseen circumstances. Recognizing this frees you to focus on what you can control and adapt as needed.

Our conversation connected these principles with modern ideas, like focusing on the 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. Think of athletes or master craftsmen—they focus on executing each step to the best of their ability, adapt as needed, and treat setbacks as opportunities to refine their skills. It’s all about a 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, knowing that each attempt moves you forward.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Self-worth isn’t tied to the outcome. It’s rooted in how you show up, how you learn, and how you move forward.
→ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝—𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝟏𝟎𝟎%.
→ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞.
→ 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲.

This shift in mindset isn’t easy, but it’s a game-changer. It frees you from the burden of self-worth and opens doors to lasting success.

What keeps you grounded when plans change? 💬 Share in the comments—or DM me 📩 to explore how we can grow together.

About the Author: Ram Dittakavi, Sr. Director of Enterprise Analytics at Ascension, the largest non-profit healthcare organization, is a Multi-Disciplinary, purpose-driven Leader passionate about transformation, continuous learning, relentless improvement and sharing insights for personal and professional growth through mentoring and coaching.

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