How a simple self-assessment transformed Sarah’s career trajectory, and how it can transform yours too
Sarah stared at her laptop screen during another Monday morning team meeting, feeling that familiar knot in her stomach. She was good at her job, really good, but something felt… stuck.
“I know I have more to offer,” she confided to her mentor later that week. “But I can’t put my finger on what’s holding me back or what my next step should be.”
Her mentor smiled knowingly. “Sarah, when was the last time you honestly assessed where you are in your professional journey? Not where you think you should be, but where you actually are right now?”
That simple question led Sarah to discover something that would change her entire approach to career growth.
The Power of Ubuntu-Centered Self-Assessment
Most of us navigate our careers with a vague sense of where we stand professionally. We know our job title, our responsibilities, our salary, but do we really understand our contribution level? Our growth trajectory? Our authentic next steps?
One way to gain this clarity is through an Ubuntu-centered approach. Ubuntu is an African philosophy that means, “I am because we are.” It teaches that individual and collective success are inseparable. From this perspective, when we’re stuck in our own growth, it affects everyone around us. Conversely, when we flourish authentically, we create space for others to flourish too. This is the foundation for a more interconnected way of assessing your professional contribution
This is where the Human Potential Meter becomes invaluable, not just as a team assessment tool, but as a personal compass for discovering how your individual contribution can elevate both yourself and your workplace community.
The Human Potential Meter maps professional contribution across 10 levels, organized into three zones that reflect different states of Ubuntu connection:
- Friction Zone (Levels 1-4): Where Ubuntu is disrupted and your energy drains the collective rather than contributing to it
- Drift Zone (Levels 5-7): Where Ubuntu is partial and you care about the team but haven’t discovered your authentic contribution to collective success
- Contribution Zone (Levels 8-10): Where Ubuntu comes alive and your individual flourishing creates space for everyone around you to flourish
The beauty of this Ubuntu-based framework? It’s not about judgment; it’s about clarity and connection. Every level is a valid starting point for growth toward collective flourishing.
Sarah’s Ubuntu Discovery
Back to Sarah’s story. When she took the Self Progression Scan (a personalized assessment based on the Human Potential Meter), she discovered something both humbling and empowering.
“I scored as a Level 6,” Sarah later shared. “Reliable Helper. The description was spot-on: ‘Consistent, likable, wants to contribute, but needs guidance for ownership.'”
Instead of feeling defeated, Sarah felt energized. Finally, she had language for what she was experiencing, and more importantly, she understood how her current state was affecting not just her, but her entire team.
“I realized I was waiting for permission to lead instead of just… leading. Ubuntu taught me that when I hold back my authentic contribution, I’m not just limiting myself; I’m limiting what our whole team can achieve.”
The assessment didn’t just diagnose Sarah’s current state; it provided a roadmap. The interactive development planning tool helped her identify her focus area (building leadership presence), create specific actions (volunteering to lead the next client presentation), and set up accountability measures.
The “Diagnose. Decide. Do.” Framework
What makes the Self Progression Scan powerful is its integrated approach:
Diagnose: Get clarity on your current contribution level and patterns
Decide: Choose your specific growth focus and development strategy
Do: Create a concrete 30-day action plan with built-in accountability
This isn’t another personality test that gives you insights you’ll forget by next week. It’s a complete development experience that takes you from self-awareness to action in about 15 minutes.
Beyond Self-Awareness to Ubuntu Action
Six months after taking her assessment, Sarah’s transformation was remarkable. She had successfully led three major client presentations, was selected for a cross-functional project team, and had recently been approached about a promotion opportunity.
“The scan didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know deep down,” Sarah reflected. “But it gave me permission to act on what I knew. And more importantly, it showed me how my growth creates space for others to grow too.”
Sarah discovered that Ubuntu in action means stepping into your authentic contribution not just for yourself, but for everyone around you. When she began leading with confidence, her colleagues started taking more initiative too.
“I finally understood that my playing small wasn’t serving anyone; not me, not my team, not our clients. Ubuntu taught me that we all rise together.”
Your Growth Question Moment
Here’s the truth: Most of us sense we have more potential than we’re currently expressing at work. You might feel capable of greater responsibility, bigger impact, or stronger leadership; but it’s not always clear how to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
The question isn’t whether you have potential. The question is: Do you know where you are right now, specifically and honestly, so you can chart your next steps forward?
The 15-Minute Investment in Your Future
Professional development doesn’t have to take months of coaching or years of trial and error. Sometimes it starts with 15 minutes of honest self-reflection guided by Ubuntu wisdom and understanding how your growth contributes to collective flourishing.
The Self Progression Scan provides exactly that: a research-based assessment that helps you understand your current contribution level, identify your specific growth opportunities, and create a personalized action plan that serves both your development and your community’s success.
Because here’s what I’ve learned from working with hundreds of professionals: when you find clarity about your authentic contribution, everything accelerates, not just for you, but for everyone around you.
When you know where you are, you can see where you’re going. When you can see where you’re going, you can take the first step. And when you take that first step with confidence and intention, everything changes.
Ready to discover where you are on your professional journey?
Take the Self Progression Scan: a complete assessment and development planning experience that helps you diagnose your current level, decide on your growth focus, and create your personal 30-day action roadmap.
No email required for results. Complete planning included. Expert guidance available.
[Start Your Development Journey →]
Because every expert was once a beginner, every leader started somewhere, and your journey toward your next level of impact starts with understanding exactly where you are today, and how your growth creates space for others to flourish too.
What’s your experience? Have you ever had a moment of clarity that shifted your entire approach to professional growth? Share your story in the comments below.
