Show Up and Ask Why

When I attend an event, I look for three things in the audience: who shows up, why they show up, and who is not there.

I think about this because attending an event is one way we access information, form connections to people, and learn. Thus, if we don’t have access to certain events, it means we also lack access to the resources those events offer.

Of course, not every get-together is right for everyone, but we can draw lessons when entire groups lack access or representation at an event. I was reminded of this when I first attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Tex.

SXSW is one of the largest international conferences focusing on diverse leaders and innovators in technology, education, music, social entrepreneurship, and the arts. I was blown away each day by the range of topics, sectors, and experiences. It is truly rare to attend an event where you start the day thinking about empowering women in tech, hear lunchtime talks about artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of our work force, and end the day examining how technology is changing music distribution and development.

I loved the conference and left feeling empowered. I reconnected with many amazing people and made new friends.

At the same time, I was aware of who was not well represented there; namely, diverse and emerging leaders in social entrepreneurship, as well as those in the nonprofit and foundation world.

This absence was understandable on some levels. Attending a conference can be expensive. The badge, which gives participants access to the full experience, is not cheap, and on top of that are travel and lodging costs and, of course, the time investment. Those of us in the nonprofit and social-entrepreneurship sectors often have limited budgets and time.

Organizing a Social-Purpose Conference Cohort

As I reflected on my first experience at a conference, I realized that many other people like me would benefit from its opportunities to connect and grow, if only we could remove some of the cost and time barriers. Thanks to support from American Express, we were able to bring a group of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs to a conference, and to make the experience more educational by organizing a workshop and speaker to share wisdom about thoughtful leadership.

Daron K. Roberts, former NFL coach and author of Call an Audible, agreed to speak with our group. He’s a powerful speaker, as a university lecturer and founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation at the University of Texas, and he shared his journey from Harvard Law graduate to NFL coach to educator.

We also held an adaptive-leadership exercise with the nonprofit I Live Here, I Give Here. We helped them problem-solve a challenge the founder was facing, to generate possible solutions.

Igniting the Learning Spark

We found that attending a conference together as a group made the experience feel more intentional and inclusive. Not only did we meet new friends and learn new things, but our activities and conversations reminded us why we chose to do what we are doing today: because we have a mission to fulfill. What’s more, attending such a huge event with trusted allies helped to put us at ease and to make us more open-minded. I attended discussions on topics such as blockchain (a secure, decentralized approach to storing digital assets), music trends in Africa, and VR trends, and was able to reflect on their applicability to my work.

New experiences can have a domino effect. Each “new thing” we learn gives us the awareness and courage to explore the next new thing. Emerging brain science confirms this: New connections and experiences make it easier for us to continue learning. I certainly know more about blockchain than I did before. This experience reminded me that I must continue to pursue new information each day and not just stick to what I know.

As social-purpose leaders, we will always face constraints in our work. Budget, time, and capacity are often tight — but knowledge should not be. We have to show up at different places and learn something new with an open mind. We have to keep asking why.

To learn more, visit LeaderStories.org