Online Reporter
Hunt For Greatness
Milton Kamwendo
Act. Think. Take more action.
Action shapes identity.
Movement creates momentum.
Practice builds power.
You do not grow by standing still. You grow by acting boldly and thinking deeply. Basically, you grow through action and thinking.
The most powerful breakthroughs come when you step out; when you try, act, reflect and adjust. Growth is shaped in the crucible of doing.
Thinking alone is necessary, but not sufficient. Grow through action and thinking. Dr Herminia Ibarra is an advocate of action. In her book “Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader”, she turns the traditional leadership development on its head. Most people believe they must first change their mindset to act differently. Ibarra’s research and experience show the opposite: You grow into leadership and personal greatness by acting your way into new ways of thinking.
Let that sink in.
Start before you feel ready
Waiting until everything is perfect is an enemy of growth. Thinking too long without acting leads to paralysis. Ibarra writes: “You are not going to think your way into a new way of acting; you are going to act your way into a new way of thinking.”
This challenges the conventional wisdom of self-development that says: “First think, then do.” Instead, Ibarra counsels that the key to greatness and growth is to do first.
Step up and step into action.
Take the action challenge.
Step into the new role. Take on the unfamiliar responsibilities. Stretch beyond your comfort zone. This is the way to grow. Growth demands action.
Growth begins with motion, not mastery.
Outside-in approach
The conventional wisdom is that you have to “go inside” to find clarity.
There is another growth pathway — action. Clarity comes from outside experiences.
It comes by doing new things, meeting new people and stepping into unfamiliar spaces.
Your growth in clarity comes through action. Ibarra calls this the “outside-in” approach. You expose yourself to diverse situations and perspectives that challenge your current worldview. You do not grow by staying in your bubble; you grow by stretching the bubble. Leaders become more strategic not by sitting in strategy classes; they do so by navigating strategic challenges. What you have to learn to do, you learn by doing. You build courage through small wins and failing forward. Confidence comes from doing, not from overthinking.
Redefine your job and identity
A growth trap that stands in the way is defining yourself too narrowly.
You say to yourself: “This is just who I am” or “This is my role”.
That mindset keeps you stuck.
You are not defined by the things around you; you grow by taking action and being the light. Craft and stretch your work. Think beyond your job description. Reinvent yourself and redefine your roles. This will allow you to operate more broadly. You act like a leader, not just a task doer. Volunteer for cross-functional projects. Take the initiative. Mentor others. Pursue work that aligns with your future goals.
Reach beyond your current comfort. You are not just a title or a task. You are work in progress; you are becoming a masterpiece. Growth means letting go of fixed identity stories. Stop making certificates and CVs your limitation.
Embrace the adventure of who you are becoming.
Learn by doing
Growth is not about mindless action. It is about reflective action.
Try something new, then think about what worked, what did not and what you learned.
This cycle — act, reflect and adapt — is the heartbeat of transformation.
Instead of asking, “Am I ready?” ask, “What can I try and learn from?”
This is how you grow. Reflection without action is empty theory. Action without reflection is chaos in waiting. Growth comes from combining both.
Action + Thinking = Growth.
Use your network
Your network is a key to growth.
Most people build deep but narrow networks — comfortable connections within their comfort circle. Growth requires broad, diverse networks. It requires people who challenge your thinking; people who expose you to new opportunities. Your network should not only support you socially and emotionally; it should also stretch you strategically. It should make you uncomfortable with mediocrity.
Intentionally connect with people who are ahead of you. Link up with people different from you. Do what you aspire to do.
Stretch your learning and experience frontiers. Growth is contagious when you walk with growers.
The messy middle
Whenever you are growing, you will always be uncomfortable.
When you step into new roles or attempt new habits, you will feel awkward and uncertain — You feel like an imposter.
That is a normal growth pathway.
This uncomfortable middle is called the “liminal space”.
It is the in-between phase where you are no longer who you used to be but not yet fully the new version of yourself. It feels messy, rough and unsettling, but that is the sweet spot where growth happens.Instead of fearing discomfort, embrace it. You are expanding.
The shoe will hurt a little. You are on the edge of a breakthrough.
Growth often feels like failure before it feels like success.
Experiment boldly
The way you approach change matters. Treat life like a laboratory.
See yourself as a life scientist. Try things. Run experiments. Challenge your logic. Test new behaviours and learn fast. Accelerate your rate of learning. Get into the action groove.
Do not wait to be perfect.
If you fail, you just had a learning opportunity. Volunteer. Start mentoring someone informally.
Do something and keep in action.
Growth is not about grand moves; it is not about perfection — It is about micro-experiments with macro impact.
Think laterally, not just vertically
Do not just think about going up. To grow, think about moving across.
Develop new competencies.
Embrace lateral thinking. Broaden your understanding. Diversify your experiences rather than chasing only vertical promotion.
The wider your range, the deeper your insight. You increase your resilience if you are wider in terms of range.
Try new tasks.
Rotate through roles. Take that side project. Each experience makes you more agile, informed and valuable.
Who you are becoming
Greatness is not about arriving.
You grow and lead by becoming. Growth is not about status; it is about stretching.
Ask yourself daily: What is the one thing I can do today that reflects the leader I am becoming? Every action you take is a step up. Lead now. Act now. Grow now.
Greatness is a growth journey.
Action comes first.
Thinking follows. Growth is an ongoing process. It unfolds as you show up; take risks and reflect forward.
Do not wait to feel ready.
Act now.
Committed to your greatness.
Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author and accomplished workshop facilitator. He can be reached at: [email protected]/WhatsApp: +263772422634.
