My Why: Will Make You Think

Over the past few years I have figured out my “Why.” I spent real time thinking about what made me, me. I didn’t set out to answer the Why question until it was suggested to me by my friend, Sarah Elkins. Last year she invited me to the first No Longer Virtual session in Atlanta. Two days of workshops to meet, to learn, and to connect face to face with some super-talented people. I jumped at the opportunity. I went, participated, learned and made a couple of handfuls of new friends who shared a common love of communicating.

Recently, Sarah called me and asked if I was interested in participating in NLV 2018 in Denver, February 22 and 23. We scheduled a call to get clear on the workshop with my co-facilitator, Kathleen Byars.

Sarah suggested we focus on one thing: Why. She told me I had found my Why and to share with others how I did it. Kathleen had found her Why as well. We just took different paths to a shared destination, not the same destination but a shared one.

There is a difference. A place we can say we are at but not experiencing in the same way. What a benefit from hanging out with the right people. Who you run with makes all the difference in the world. We tell our kids this, but we also have to remind ourselves from time to time. 

For me, I believe I am doing one of two things with my life: I am either providing an experience for others to consume or I am consuming an experience someone else has created.

That’s it.

A simple way to think about your activities, at home and at work. I often stop myself and think, “Am I creating or consuming?” Most times, I agree with what I am doing, but sometimes I shift my behavior from one to the other. This article is focused more on my approach in the corporate world where I work and how I found my

Why there.

As a leader, I think I am creating experiences most of the time, but I always remind myself of the value of consuming someone else’s experiences. It’s like listening. It’s the fuel you need to create an experience. 

Here are my key principals and high-level thoughts about creating and consuming experiences and why they are important. They are what I think about. 

Creating experiences

• I build a team of cross-cultural, multitalented professionals.

• I lead the effort to define the culture around me and to influence the company.

• I hire passionate people and lead them with my passion to build.

• I try very hard to make it fun to be at work, which is key.

• Working this way defines leadership.

• Leadership defined is “the action of leading a group of people or an organization.”

• Leadership requires vision. Lead with passion towards your vision and you will have passionate followers and a chance they will understand where you are taking them. 

• Passion inspires. Inspiration helps you create. Creations lead back to why. Why you created, which feeds more passion.

Consuming experiences

• I try to consume experiences that I can use to create more experiences. 

• That is how you grow. 

• Growing makes you smarter and allows you to choose better experiences to consume. 

• You basically are what you eat. 

• Eat well and create better experiences for others. 

• Otherwise it feels hollow and like a waste of time. 

• The experiences you consume should feed your why and be the basis for the  

• decisions you make, the decisions you make on how, where and with whom you

• spend your time. 

  
  

My best, Chris