Aesthetics of Growth vs Actual Growth: A Career Cautionary Tale!
In today’s hyper-documented world, it’s easy to confuse looking like you’re growing with actually growing. The digital age rewards visibility and media-savvy moments. But as I’ve learned, there’s a clear line between the aesthetics of growth and the real, often invisible, work of growth.
Aesthetics refers to the principles or philosophy of beauty, taste, and visual appeal. It’s often used to describe how something looks or feels, especially in terms of style, design, or artistic expression.
Lately, this has been on my mind quite a bit. In today’s hyper-documented world, it’s easy to confuse looking like you’re growing with actually growing. The digital age rewards visibility and media-savvy moments. But as I’ve learned building Brif Africa, a storytelling engine spotlighting Africa’s boldest outliers, there’s a clear line between the aesthetics of growth and the real, often invisible, work of growth.
Aesthetic growth looks like a premium brand, buzzwords and polished decks, strategic partnerships that shine on paper, a constant stream of online wins, and the illusion of momentum, even when there’s little movement; actual growth, on the other hand, feels like quiet consistency, revisiting hard problems, losing people but gaining clarity, turning down misaligned opportunities, and rebuilding after burnout with a deeper, quieter drive.
Actual growth is often unseen. It doesn’t trend. It rarely makes a perfect reel. But it builds something far more lasting than aesthetics ever could.
Both Matter, But One Sustains
There’s nothing wrong with looking like you’re growing. Perception is powerful. Aesthetics can inspire confidence, attract support, and signal seriousness. But perception without progress is performance.
The challenge is knowing the difference and having the discipline to chase the kind of growth that compounds over time, even when nobody’s watching.
Because the most meaningful kind of growth? It roots before it rises!
Okay, thanks for reading to this point. Let me know what you think!
Watch this if you are preparing to be a Global Talent
