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Last week during Sandbox Summit, I joined Cesar's workshop on Joyful Leadership, something that he has spent his lifetime working on.

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He asked us a question that made everything click.

"What's the most selfish reason you do what you do?"

Not the mission statement reason.

The selfish one.

My answer came immediately. Crystal clear.

"I do what I do because I SO FREAKING LOVE who I am around these dear people".

Curious. Playful. Weird. Challenging everyone (including myself) to dig deeper.

In the day-to-day work, friends, family context, I kind of like myself.

But boy, at the summit, I aspire to be that version of myself all the time...

That felt joyful. No shame.

Just this obvious truth, like when you need to pee and you pee. Natural flow.

Now, how does this relate to your day-to-day life and work?

Here is a real story.

The next week, in my new job, I was talking with my colleague about our 5-year company strategy.

He defaults to "our purpose is to generate profit" because that's what sounds acceptable to everyone else.

But I could see him holding back his real answer.

We're conditioned to think our deepest motivations are "too much."

Too emotional.

Too intense.

Too selfish.

Probably started in childhood. At some point our parents couldn't handle the full intensity of who we were.

So they tried to dial us down.

And we learned: be acceptable. Stay within the lines.

But when you're leading others, hiding from your deepest motivations kills everyone's energy.

People watch your energy level.

We may not be able to articulate it, but we feel when you're operating at half-power.

What's truly good for you IS good for everyone around you.

My colleague's real motivation isn't just profit.

It's understanding the world through the work of commodities trading.

When he owns that truth, everyone benefits from his aligned energy.

The most selfish thing you can do is be completely honest about what drives you.

Because when leaders operate from their authentic core, everyone around them gets permission to do the same.

I love watching people in their element, doing their thing.

Even better when we do it together.

Like watching a perfect sports play unfold.

Like the beautiful Sandbox Summit we just had.

That's what motivates me.

And that's exactly what the world needs more of.

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"What's good for you is also good for the world."

Take care, and take some risks.

Khuyen

P.S. What's your most selfish reason for doing what you do? I'd love to hear it - do write back.

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