The question, “Why?” is one of the most powerful questions that can ever be asked.

When I first received training to coach others, I was instructed to avoid asking, “Why?” It was viewed as too challenging for most people. I was told it would “shut people down.” It would put them into a defensive place.

However I’ve since learned, while working with leaders, one of my greatest services is to ask them, “Why?”

Leaders need to face the challenge of answering, “Why?” As leaders, we all lead out of who we are. We lead out of what drives us. It’s important that we understand what motivates us. Then we can begin to lead intentionally, not reactively.

I consult for a living and I love what I do. I love the ability to bring the best out of leaders and teams; helping them grow personally and seeing them accomplish their goals more quickly than they ever thought possible.

Here’s my story and “why” this work is important to me:

The first 15 years, or so, of my career were involved in helping professions. Immediately after graduating from high school, I began to volunteer in lay ministry positions in the US and internationally: Mexico, the Middle East and Egypt. The international experiences were eye opening for me. In my early 20s, while studying and serving in the Middle East, I began to recognize the pervasiveness of the social needs around me.

This launched me towards learning and understanding more practical ways to serve and build communities.

In college, I worked with people with disabilities. Later, I worked with children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges. Eventually, I moved into international disaster relief and community development, working in conflict zones or after disasters. Projects were broad and included physically rebuilding communities, restoring public utilities, starting schools, creating programs to address PTSD in children and supporting the sustainability of medical programs.

Here is what I discovered: In any of the contexts where I served, our primary challenges were rarely the needs that were in front of us: not the insecurity, the remoteness or the lack of infrastructure.

Some of our projects were extremely well funded. The programs were thoughtfully and carefully designed. We had highly-educated and trained staff. However, repeatedly the success of our projects, and the experience of the teams, was challenged or undermined because We didn’t know how to lead. We didn’t know how to build and sustain healthy, vibrant teams.

The lack of effective leadership and unresolved team conflicts were the primary sources of stress, project failure and turnover on our teams. Threats of armed conflict, crime, evacuations, funding cuts, etc. rarely created the same level of challenge.

This isn’t to say that nothing we did accomplished results or benefited the communities. I’ve had the privilege to participate in great projects that have made a real difference in many lives. However, when we struggled to create or sustain impact, leadership or team issues were ever-present obstacles.

Essentially, good people who were trying to do good things didn’t know how to work together well. My colleagues were often doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers, ministers, social workers…and almost none of them had ever been taught to lead. Almost none understood how to manage team dynamics, decision-making and conflict. It wasn’t their fault. Entire professions and academia tend to falsely assume that leadership is a position; rather than a learned ability. They further assume that leadership is something to attain, not something to learn and provide.

Over the years, I developed a fascination with healthy teams, conflict resolution, leadership and effective management practices. Both of my degrees were focused on learning how to build and lead healthy, high-impact teams and organizations.

I consult now because there are so many people who want to accomplish something worthwhile. I want them to succeed. I want their teams to thrive. These people I serve.

I’ve learned that it isn’t just people in the, so called, “helping professions” who want to do something worthwhile. The view of corporate cynicism, so popular in our culture, isn’t as justified as many assume. Many people in the business community and public sectors are actively trying to create a better community. They work hard to create meaningful jobs and careers. They often invest heavily in the development and opportunities of those around them.

I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the business world and the hard work of the public sector. These things aren’t as clear in the US because, despite what we tell ourselves, we don’t experience serious threats to either.

However, in the international humanitarian world, we weren’t deemed successful simply because a community had sprouted a thriving non-profit sector (although we valued it.) We were most successful if local businesses and government were thriving, ethical, and working together to build verdant communities. Those were communities that could stand on their own and even reach out to help others.

Why do I consult? I love to help leaders, who want to accomplish something worthwhile, succeed. I know their work impacts the world around them. My work expands their results.

What drives you? Add your comments below.