Stay in Your Lane (And Love the Ride)

We’ve all admired someone at work or in our industry—a mentor, a colleague, a peer we look up to. Their journey is inspiring. Their success feels magnetic. It’s natural to feel a pull to follow in their footsteps. But here’s the thing: there’s a big difference between inspiration and imitation.

When admiration turns into mimicry, especially when you’re eyeing roles, titles, or responsibilities you haven’t earned, it creates a ripple effect. What might feel like ambition to you can register as disrespect to someone who’s done the work. And once credibility is lost, it’s hard to get it back.

It’s not about gatekeeping or hierarchy—it’s about honesty. Respecting the journey means honoring the time, the grit, the growth, and the personal sacrifices that others have made to get where they are. You don’t get to shortcut that just because you think, “I could do that too.”

And more importantly—why would you want to?

Your lane is yours for a reason. Your talents, your energy, your spark—it’s meant for the path that only you can walk. When you veer into someone else’s story, you dilute your own. You miss the chance to build something fueled by passion instead of comparison.

So admire. Cheer people on. Learn from them. But don’t lose yourself trying to be them.

Stay in your lane. Own it. Love it. And make it one worth watching.