Ep 4. Own Your Human
- Andrea Golding
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
Today we’re diving into the fourth and final guiding principle of this series: Own Your Human.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know the first three:
Pause for Quality — choose high quality over high speed.
Beware the Curse of Knowledge — communicate from the context others need, not just what you know.
Lean on Kindness — even when rage and frustration are easier.
And now, our last principle: Own Your Human.
Why We Need These Principles
Scaling is loud, messy, and fast. As businesses grow, so does headcount — and with that comes complexity. Our instinct is to impose more rules, processes, and frameworks in an attempt to tame the chaos. Those have their place, but the truth is: the human side doesn’t fit neatly into boxes.
That’s why we need principles like these — simple, practical anchors to help us lead and work well when everything’s moving at speed.
What Does “Own Your Human” Actually Mean?
It means remembering that we’re all whole humans.
Not “Work You” and “Home You” — just you. And that you have days when you’re brilliant and focused… and others when you’re tired, distracted, or just not firing on all cylinders.
And that’s okay. Owning your human is about being honest about where you’re at — and creating a culture where others can do the same.
The Power of Context
Imagine a senior manager shows up to a meeting distracted. He’s barely slept because his baby was sick all night. But he doesn’t say anything — he just sits there, unfocused, off-topic, and a bit disengaged.
It’s frustrating, right? It feels disrespectful.
But imagine if he’d started the meeting by saying, “Hey everyone, I’m running on fumes — rough night with the baby. I’m here, but I might be a bit slow today.”
Suddenly, everything makes sense. You adjust your expectations, you meet him where he is, and the irritation disappears.
That’s the power of owning your human — it gives others context so they can respond with empathy instead of judgment. They can adjust their expectations and meet you where you are at... and you can do the same for them.
When We Hide Our Humanity
When people don’t feel safe to be honest about how they’re doing, something shifts.
And we lose connection — that sense that we’ve got each other’s backs.
When we do own our human, though, we create trust. We create safety. We play the long game of sustainable high performance instead of sprinting to exhaustion.
Creating a Culture of Connection
Here’s what happens when teams make it safe to own their human:
It becomes okay not to be okay.
People show up more honestly.
You build a culture of connection and understanding — not a culture of results at any cost.
You unlock energy, creativity, and genuine collaboration.
And sure, we’ve got more tools, bots, and AI than ever before — but behind all that tech, it’s still people. Humans. With real lives, families, worries, and joys.
When we allow them to bring their whole selves to work, we unlock extraordinary potential. When we don’t, we leave a lot of magic on the table.
Yes, It Feels a Bit Awkward at First
Owning your human requires vulnerability — and that can feel uncomfortable. But it only takes one person to go first. When people sense it’s safe, they follow.
So try this: next time someone asks, “How are you?” give a real answer. Something like, “Honestly, I’m running a bit low on sleep but feeling good about the week.”
Or start your next meeting by asking, “How are you arriving here today?” — and answer it honestly yourself to set the bar and open up the conversation, safely.
You’ll be amazed at how it shifts the tone.
Your Action Item:
Here’s your takeaway:
Next time you’re in a meeting or conversation, own your human. Be honest about how you’re arriving. Invite others to do the same.
Because when we acknowledge our humanity — the tiredness, the distraction, the joy, the overwhelm — we give people the context they need to meet us where we are. And we make work a little more human.
Some days are brilliant. Some days suck. Sometimes life is loud and chaotic and hard.
That’s okay. Welcome to being human.
Own it.
Because business growth is messy — but the human side doesn’t have to be.
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