Simon Sinek

What do you make of Sinek’s theory of The Golden Circle? How does this resonate with the work you have been doing about your own beliefs? Do you have a WHY?

Sinek’s Golden Circle is composed of what, how, and why. Sinek explains that when we start from our “what” and end at our “why”, we lose meaning/ feeling. No one cares and most people think this way. It’s the people who don’t that begin to stand out.  We don’t stand out when we start with what we want. When you start from your “why” and end with your “what”, people start to believe what you believe. They want to follow your lead not for you but for themselves. It takes a few people to try this before it actually works and people follow along.  

When I think of my classroom, I think of the content and curriculum being the what. It’s what we have to teach, we teach it using strategies (how), and we do it because that’s our job. The students don’t really care because the work is meaningless. It doesn’t connect to anything they care about or their lives. When you teach from your beliefs and your “why” you begin to make a difference. It shapes your teaching and shows the students why you love learning and they should too. The students will then not just show up because of you but show up for themselves.  We have the power as educators to inspire our students to take pride in their own beliefs. You will love what you do, when you do what you believe in. Always go back to your “why” when planning for a lesson. If you can’t answer questions about why you are teaching it, then maybe you shouldn’t be teaching it. If you believe students work best when in groups, do not put them in rows. 

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”