Help Your People Reach the Next Level

Stop telling people to bring their whole selves to work. Focus on their future self.

For years, corporate culture has been shaped by the mantra: “Bring your whole self to work.” This ideal, born of a desire for authenticity and psychological safety, has served its purpose — helping people feel seen, heard, and human in the workplace.

But in my experience as a corporate culture strategist (and in a piece I wrote for the New York Times), I’ve come to believe this philosophy has limits.

Encouraging people to bring their “whole selves” often becomes an invitation to bring every unfiltered frustration, insecurity, or unresolved past conflict into a professional environment. On the other end of the spectrum, asking people to check themselves at the door and bring only a curated, sanitized version of who they are doesn’t work either. It stifles creativity, discourages connection, and eventually breeds burnout.

There’s a third alternative — one that I’ve seen unlock potential, resolve workplace drama, and transform teams. Instead of asking people to bring their whole self or their partial self, what if we invited them to bring their future self?

The “future self” is the person you aspire to be — not an idealized fantasy, but the next version of you that’s more courageous, more compassionate, more competent. It’s the self that wakes up with purpose, shows up with clarity, and makes decisions with intention.

This mindset shift reframes work as a developmental dojo — a place to practice being the person you're becoming. And something remarkable happens when a team adopts this lens: the workplace transforms from a stage for grievances into a laboratory for growth.

Suddenly, feedback becomes fuel, not a threat. Deadlines become opportunities for integrity, not stress. Petty conflicts fade when viewed from the perspective of “who am I becoming through this?” People begin to encourage not only their own growth, but the growth of those around them — and that’s the foundation of a truly high-performing team.

The future self model doesn’t ignore the present; it integrates it. It acknowledges that we all have stories, challenges, and emotions — but it asks: Who do I want to be on the other side of this? That question is inherently empowering.

In a time when workplaces are grappling with burnout, identity politics, generational divides, and post-pandemic disconnection, perhaps what we need isn’t just more authenticity — but more aspiration. Because when we bring our future selves to work, we don't just change our careers. We change our culture.