Andela's Values: What It Means to Be epic

"If you understand others you are smart. If you understand yourself you are illuminated. If you overcome others you are powerful. If you overcome yourself you have strength. If you know how to be satisfied you are rich. If you can act with vigor, you have a will. If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting. If you die without loss, you are eternal. "One of my favourite quotes from Lao Tzu an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer which highlights excellence.

When I received a guide which detailed what I should know as an aspiring Andelan. My first intention was to skim through the document like anyone would do with a newspaper over breakfast. But as I read, I became so engrossed in reading. I started to reflect on how I could apply their values in my life to help me reach new heights, accelerate my transformation and unlock new potentials. EPIC (pronounced as epic in English) is an acronym which stands for Excellence, Passion, Integrity, and collaboration are the core values Andelans strive to portray and has helped them to develop into world-class community of EPIC minds.

Excellence

After going through the guide I realized I've have always had a shallow understanding of what it meant to have an excellent spirit. It gave me a good understanding of what it meant to have an "excellence" mindset and draw a line between "Excellence" and going after "Perfection". I realized I have always wanted to attain perfection, I was never patient with learning, I would only focus on getting things done and learning only what I need to learn. I never had the patience to grow, but Andela's 'Excellence' value which encourage individuals to be a better version of themselves and strive for the mastery of their craft has made me to develop a "learn it all mindset", and putting off the "know it all mindset" and I've and come to realize that the urge and commitment to get things right helps you to achieve great outcomes. This Andela value should be a model for individuals who want to distinguish themselves from others as long as they continue to learn and grow.

Passion

Most times we feel so insecure and insignificant so the thoughts of changing the world seems too impossible. I've felt like giving up so many times especially when I see how much I need to learn, I don't know if I had enough passion to change the world but this Andela's value has made me to re-ignite the passion. I've learned to approach every goal with conviction and energy, finish every task I started, seek feedback from colleagues, evaluate them and take action. IntegrityIntegrity of an individual who wants to be held accountable cannot be over-emphasized. It means following your morals or ethical convictions and doing the right thing at all circumstances. Having integrity means you are true to yourself and won't do anything that will dishonor you. It is perhaps the most important principle of leadership. To be a leader comes with the responsibility to embrace truthfulness and honesty. Many people have a common misconception about integrity as just being honest, integrity deals with consistency of actions and values, something I have come to understand over the years. And Andela has demonstrated this in four years of its existence by earning a global respect in technology industry in the world and recently being ranked as the best place to work in Nigeria by Jobberman.