In his Ted Talk video entitled Start with the Why world renowned author, motivational speaker, and marketing expert talks about the importance of “starting with the why” Simon Sinek. In what he dubs the “golden circle” Sinek believes that those in leadership who inspire are able to clearly and succinctly articulate the “why” of their vision of inspirational leadership. For Sinek, it is this ability that distinguishes those who lead with inspiration from those who simply manage. The “how” and the “what” flow naturally from here. While most of his work is generally within the context of business leadership, Sinek’s “golden circle” is useful for those of us who lead or who seek to lead in educational settings as well. As educational leaders we must first be clear about our “why” (purpose, cause, belief). Secondly, we need to become good at articulating our why. Why is this important, you may ask? Well, in the video, Sinek sums this up by simply stating, that “ “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. Think of the thousands of routine tasks that educators are asked to perform on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. How many times are we invited to take part in dialogues around why these tasks might be important? How might this change the perception of teachers about the importance of time consuming but necessary responsibilities such as documentation, ongoing feedback, and differentiated instruction and participation in professional learning?
George Couros makes a similar point in his article entitled, 5 Questions To Drive Personal Professional Learning In his article, Couros questions the sustainability of the current trend towards using incentives to drive professional education. In his view, these types of external motivations do and cannot to deep, personalized learning. Curos states that, “If people don’t understand why we are learning something, it will not stick.” This has indeed been my experience both as a learner and as a leader. I am currently taking Special Education Part 1, where for the first time I am learning the “why” behind tasks that teachers perform every day such as IEP’s and transition plans. For me, this learning has led to a deepening and a personalization of work that I once performed mostly out of duty and obligation. Similarly, as a teacher leader, I have had the opportunity to engage my staff in discussions and professional learning on the importance of deepening our understanding of equity and inclusive practice. While this topic has always had very deep and personal significance for me, some staff are undoubtedly engaged in these conversations on a very superficial level. How, then, as leaders can we move people from the superficial, to the passionate, personal, and purposeful? How can we change from those who seek to motivate others externally to those who help others to tap into what motivates them internally?