This is the rhythm of our work. The relentless pursuit of the next thing. The approval from legal, the budget sign-off, the successful press conference, and the promotion. We chase these "things" because we're told they are the markers of success.
We are caught in the KPI trap. We believe that if we can just get all these things, then we'll have security, peace, and value.
But what if we have it backward?
There's an ancient piece of wisdom, a radical business plan from Matthew 6:33, that flips the script: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Forget the jargon for a moment. See the system.
“All these things” are the outcomes we chase. The KPIs. The bonuses. The career wins. The plan says these aren’t the goal. They are the result.
The goal is to “seek first.”
What does that look like on a Monday morning?
It means seeking the mission before the metric. In my case, our specific company mission is to power the country, to build communities, to build the future today by leading the Philippine energy transition and ensuring energy security and equity. Is this press release, this stakeholder meeting, serving that mission with excellence?
It means seeking righteousness—or integrity, in our language—before seeking approval. Is this report truthful? Is our strategy fair to our customers? Are we doing the right thing even when no one is looking, especially when it’s the hard thing? This is the work that builds trust, the only real currency we have.
The paradox is that the surest way to get “all these things” is to stop chasing them.
When your primary aim is integrity, your reputation grows. When your primary aim is serving the mission, you create undeniable value. The promotions, the successful projects, the respect of your peers, they become the inevitable byproduct of getting the first thing right.
Don't chase the outcomes. Focus on the integrity of the input.
The rest will follow. It always does.
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