It’s Not the Same

“You know things are never the same once you're not part of it, Tim.”

A dear friend shared this after I expressed some disappointment about the lack of meaningful engagement with the community after stepping down from a senior leadership role to try my hand at a solo consultancy.

It felt like relationships built over years had disappeared overnight.

But looking more closely, I realized those relationships were rooted in consistent proximity: recurring check-ins, emails, shared projects, conferences. Without that rhythm, it’s natural for connections to shift, especially when I’m moving at a different pace and others are still going full speed.

I knew this, intuitively. Still, I value connection and community deeply, so the change left me feeling a bit untethered.

My friend’s perspective helped. It invited me to notice the new connections and communities already forming around me, and to think more intentionally about how to carry some of those past relationships forward in a different way. Less frequent, perhaps. More casual. But still connected.

It also brought a deeper appreciation for the relationships and communities that remain steady, emerging and deeply meaningful connections, and a renewed commitment to continue nurturing them.

My esteemed friend ended our message exchange with a question: “The question is, can we meet and nurture young people and mid-career folks to have the same values and commitments that we represent?”

Yes!

It starts with small, intentional acts. Reaching out, connecting and reconnecting, and building community.