I’ve never seen money as my greatest asset.
It can buy security and status – but not stability. The kind of stability that comes from within, built through years of experience, decisions made under pressure, and lessons learned when things didn’t go as planned. The kind that allows you to stand tall even when the wind is against you.
My greatest assets are experience, honesty – and calm.
I’ve worked in environments where the pulse never drops below 120. Where deadlines hunt you, hundreds of people await your decisions, and minutes can mean millions. I’ve seen how panic spreads like a virus in an organization. One person starts running – soon everyone is running. But the solution isn’t in the chaos. It’s in the pause. In the breath. In the ability to see what’s really happening before reacting to what only seems to be happening.
Standing Still When Others Run
Leadership isn’t about doing the most. It’s about knowing when not to do anything at all.
That might sound contradictory, but that’s often where the key lies. When others rush toward the problem, I take a step back. I observe. I let people do what they do best. I know that a team built on trust will always perform better than one built on control.
Someone who worked with me during a large event once said in a voice note:
“I’m taking a page from your book. Here, people work in panic, but you remain calm. You let others do their jobs, and in the end, everything works. The event runs smoothly, everyone’s happy, and problems get solved without drama. Your mindset has made me calmer – and inspired me to lead differently.”
That sentence says more about my leadership than any résumé ever could.
It’s not about power – it’s about presence.
I’ve been the one who ran too fast, who wanted to prove myself, who mistook speed for efficiency. But experience taught me something else: the most valuable thing a leader can bring to any situation is calm.
Calm Is as Contagious as Stress
I’ve seen how a stressed leader can destabilize an entire team.
How a raised voice can kill creativity, how fear creates mistakes – and how mistakes create even more fear.
But I’ve also seen the opposite.
When a leader is calm, steady, and thoughtful – the pulse of the room changes. People start to think clearly, act wisely, and collaborate better.
I don’t believe in leading through fear. I believe in leading through trust.
Good leadership means understanding that every person has their own rhythm, their own way of working.
My job isn’t to force them into my tempo – it’s to find the collective rhythm where everyone feels seen, valued, and part of something larger.
That’s why I rarely raise my voice. Because the quietest voice often carries the longest.
Experience as Currency
It’s taken decades to understand the true value of experience.
When you’re young, you think it’s all about speed, innovation, and performance.
As you get older, you realize that real strength lies in balance, timing, and trust.
I’ve been the one called in for the impossible projects. I’ve stood behind the scenes at massive events, responsible for logistics, crew, safety, technology – everything that can go wrong.
And a lot has gone wrong.
But that’s exactly why I’ve learned what it takes when it does.
Experience teaches you to see warning signs before they turn into crises.
It teaches you that sometimes the best action is to wait ten minutes instead of reacting immediately.
You can’t learn that from a book. It’s learned through people, setbacks, sleepless nights, and unpredictable situations. And it gives you something money never can – self-awareness.
Honesty as Compass
Experience without honesty quickly becomes hollow.
I’ve met many with impressive titles and sharp words – but missing that inner anchor.
Honesty has always been my compass.
It doesn’t mean saying everything you think – but it does mean never lying, neither to others nor yourself.
I believe in being direct, even when it’s uncomfortable. Saying “This isn’t working” or “I was wrong” takes courage – but it builds trust. And trust is the foundation of leadership.
Honesty also means staying true to your values, even when it costs you.
I’ve lost projects because I refused to compromise on quality or respect. But I could still look myself in the mirror the next morning.
That’s why honesty is my second greatest asset – it builds credibility, and without that, leadership can’t exist.
Leading Through Trust
There’s an old saying in production: “Control is an illusion.”
You can plan, structure, and create systems – but in the end, it’s all about people.
And people thrive when they feel trusted.
I lead by giving responsibility.
By letting others find their own way to the solution.
I ask questions instead of giving orders.
I want people to feel ownership over their work – because when they do, they often exceed expectations.
Sometimes it may look like I’m doing nothing. But that’s the point.
Leadership isn’t about constant action. It’s about knowing when to step back.
True authority comes when people trust that you’re there – not to control, but to support.
Life as a Teacher
You can’t be a good leader without having lived.
Life teaches you more than any course or coach ever could.
When you’ve been down, rebuilt, and started again – you gain a deeper respect for both time and people.
Experience isn’t measured in years – it’s measured in depth.
The depth of what you’ve dared to face.
The depth of the responsibility you’ve taken.
The depth of the conversations you’ve had – with others and with yourself.
When I lead, I bring my entire life into the room – all I’ve learned on stage, at sea, in productions, and through setbacks.
All of it shapes the person who can stand still when others run.
A Leadership for Our Time
I believe the world today longs for a new kind of leadership.
Not the kind built on hierarchy and ego – but one grounded in humanity.
A leadership that isn’t only about delivering results, but about creating meaning.
When someone from my team says, “I feel good,” after a demanding production – that’s when I know we’ve succeeded.
Because then, I haven’t just built results. I’ve built well-being.
I see young leaders struggling under stress and the need to prove themselves.
They want to perform but lack the inner calm that only time can give.
Our role as experienced leaders is to show them that it’s possible to lead with the heart, not just the head.
That you don’t have to shout to be heard.
That trust and calm are not the enemies of progress – they are the foundation of it.
The Quietest Strength
In the end, everything comes down to energy.
Stress divides – calm unites.
Fear silences – trust opens.
I want to be the kind of leader people remember not for what I said, but for how they felt when I was there.
Safe. Respected. Seen.
That’s my wealth.
And that’s what I hope to leave behind:
A leadership built on honesty, humanity, and balance.
So when someone asks me what my greatest asset is, I answer without hesitation:
It’s my experience, my honesty – and my ability to stay calm in the storm.
Because in a world that spins faster every day, we need more people who dare to stand still.
Not because they lack drive – but because they understand the rhythm of chaos.
That’s where I belong.
That’s where I lead.
And that’s where I make a difference.
By Chris...