The What, the How, and the Why
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." - Simon Sinek
I recently stumbled upon this Ted Talk. Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why, states that he has identified why some organizations and individuals have been successful while others with similar talents and resources failed to live up to expectations. He cites Apple, The Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr. as examples of the former. Simply put, great leaders inspire action by first identifying why they do what they do. They start with their purpose. The how and the what come after that.
Here is the video.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&w=500&h=305]
This seems very applicable to schools and their leaders. Why do we do what we do? What motivates us to get up in the morning and go to work? These are important questions in my school, as we start to relook at our vision and mission during the initial implementation of professional learning communities. This process has had its ups and downs, but I don't think we would be truly moving forward if we weren't experiencing a bit of a bumpy ride.
Where is your school at in the process of developing a vision and mission? How are you selling the "why" to your customers, namely your students, families and community? Please share in the comments.
