Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

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I work with many educators who work exhausting hours day after day.  It is often a thankless job, and many times teachers feel defeated at the end of the day.  Perhaps the students didn’t master the learning objective, or the teacher is facing the reality of planning for the individual needs of a very diverse population, or the teacher is learning the new standards that were just released and there is an absence of instructional materials with which to plan, or they are dealing with the reality of educating students who are homeless and hungry.  Regardless of which of these likely realities the teacher is facing, it’s clear that he/she will not make it in this profession without a strong resolve founded on WHY they are an educator.

A focus of the leader’s work is to unify the team through a core purpose or vision.  To help each team member “own” the why behind the work. Simon Sinek notes that through a shared understanding of values/beliefs and “the why”, trust emerges in the organization.  When trust is present and the passion of the why is in alignment, then people work harder and devote themselves to the vision/mission.

I terms of leading schools or districts, the “why” is often taken for granted. I’ve often said that a Superintendent leads a movement more than a district.  While a Superintendent may be quite adept at leading the district, he/she must also be able to lead a movement.  The passion for the “why” transcends the work and decision-making; it is about putting students first and what is best for the child is at the heart of each decision.

Sinek simplified his analysis into the concept of what he calls, “The Golden Circle”. He states that the “what” is the result – the product. The “how” is the process used to accomplish the what.  The core is the “why” the purpose and the belief of the organization.

While we know “what” we do – we educate children, and we mostly know “how” we do it – through various instructional strategies, there is great power in knowing WHY we do it.  With the why, we are inspired into action, it becomes about the greater good and less about ourselves.

Education is a service, many refer to it as a calling.  Sadly, when the media looks at schools the typical focus is on the what – state scores, and we rarely hear about the why – the passion for educating students.  It’s incumbent upon us to do everything possible to share the why. Just like we need to build trust within the organization, schools need to share the why with the community at large and foster trust and shared responsibility for student development.

So, what’s my why? For me, it’s about justice and creating a connected future for all students.  Students of poverty need advocates who don’t lower the bar as some sort of pity or learned helplessness.  They need educators who will guide them to their own educational discoveries and help them find their why. They need educators who are globally minded and know that their futures are more than their current surroundings.  They need opportunities to compete in a global market, we have a responsibility to ensure that each student is ready and is not defeated before the game even starts. My why is centered on each child’s bright future and his/her future contributions to the greater good.