LEADERSHIP COACHING: Power of Why: Culture = Behavior
In his book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek explains that “people don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.” He goes on to explain the secret ingredient behind successful leaders is the motivation behind their actions. Instead of thinking about what they do or how they do it, their focus is on the “why.” In other words, what is your PURPOSE? What is your cause, your belief? Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
I agree wholeheartedly with Sinek’s thoughts on the power of this one simple word. However, over the last couple of years I have been reflecting on this idea of Sinek’s notion of ‘why” when it comes to the behavior of people in our organizations.
I recently shared a post with the following quote below:
My intent in this quote is not to state that we should be controlling of others, rather it was to emphasize the importance of understanding the “why” behind someone’s behavior. I have often stated that culture parallels behavior - look around and observe the behavior of students and staff and that will tell us most of what we need to know about the culture of a school. However, in my experience, healthy cultures go beyond observation and invest time in others to understand the origin of the behavior of others. In other words, they are purposeful in building relationships with others to understand why people behave the way they behave. In Culturize, the 4th Core Principle reminds us that people want to be great at what they do. If students and staff are not performing at the level we want them to or expect them to, then we must try our best to understand the “why?” behind their behavior so rather than label them or judge them for their behavior, we do it to support them.
As you reflect on your students and staff who struggled this past year, ask yourself, “Did you invest time to understand their story, their experiences?
Next time, start with the “why,” but this time with the intent to help you understand why they behave the way they behave so you can inspire them back to greatness.
I am thrilled to announce some exciting news regarding ConnectEDD, a company that Jeff Zoul and I started back in 2015. Since that time, we have worked on a variety of projects and services and in 2020, we began publishing books. We are quite proud of the books we have published thus far and are extremely proud of the authors with whom we work. Now that the company has successfully taken off, we decided it makes sense to bring ConnectEDD under the J Casas and Associates company. As a result, I have purchased Jeff’s interest in ConnectEDD from him and I plan to incorporate the publishing company under the umbrella J Casas and Associates company. This change in ownership will take place on July 1.
If you are interested in picking up a copy of a book by one of our published authors below, please check out this link. For large discounts on bulk order purchases of 10 or more copies for book studies, please contact us at info@connecteddpublishing.com.
ConnectEDD Authors:
Emily Paschall - Multiply Excellence
Jamie Fowler-White - Educator Reflection Tips
Marita Diffenbaugh - L.E.A.R.N.E.R.
Will Parker - Pause. Breathe. Flourish.
Jimmy Casas - Daily Inspiration Volume 1 & 2
Dan Butler - Permission to Be Great
Shane Saeed - Be the Flame
Brad Gustafson - 6 Literacy Levers
Eric Sheninger - Disruptive Thinking
Joy Kelly/Jimmy Casas - Handle with Care
Weston Kieschnick - The Educator’s ATLAS
Todd Nesloney - In the Season
Check out our latest Culturize Posters. These large size posters will pop on your school walls and remind you of the importance of living the 4 Core Principles of Culturize: Champion for Students, Expect Excellence, Carry the Banner and Be a Merchant of Hope. Remember, 100% of the net proceeds from our store are donated to our Live Your Excellence Foundation which furthers educational and community causes.
