Growing up, I know I drove my parents nuts because I was always asking them questions. I was an inquisitive, young fellow who just wanted to know why things were the way they were. I remember distinctly going to Nebraska football games with my dad and on the trip to and from Omaha to Lincoln, I would be looking out the window and asking him all sorts of questions that started with "Why." God bless my father for entertaining all of these questions, because I am sure that it got really annoying. He didn't give me that vibe and dutifully tried to address every question asked of him. As I think back on it now, I think that is why my dad and I have such a good relationship. He took the time to answer my questions the best he knew how and didn't get frustrated with me for asking a million questions. He knew "the Why" was important.
We all like to have some semblance of control over our lives because it makes us feel comfortable and that we know what we are doing. We make decisions based on the best information we have and most of the time, if we do our due diligence, things work out okay for us. This is all fine and dandy when we are making decisions that will impact only us or a small group of people we are close to, but when our decisions and actions impact a lot of people, we better get ready to provide the "the Why" and better provide a pretty compelling argument because people are going to challenge you.
Challenging "the Why" is how we learn and grow as individuals. We may not like "the Why," but if we know how the decision was made and that there was thoughtful intention put into it, it becomes a little more palatable. It is when our choices and decisions seem disjointed and haphazard that we are going to find ourselves in a little bit of a bind. Good leadership is ALWAYS about the "the Why" and those who take on leadership roles know that the ability to provide it will mean the difference between failure and success. Those who just want to skirt by "the Why" and take the path of least resistance by saying, "because I said so," are going to find themselves in a position where people are just going to stop listening to them altogether.
"The WHY" is the most important part of leadership and sometimes has to be said over and over again in order for it to sink in. It may get cumbersome to provide the explanation multiple times, but it is necessary so there is a consistent message on why things are being done the way they are. People crave consistency and "the Why" provides that. Let's give the people what they want by providing "the Why." They might come along kicking and screaming, but at least they will be moving forward.
#OwnYourEpic #Embrace
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