S1. Explain the why
Help staff understand the purpose behind decisions. When people know why something matters, they’re more likely to support it and take ownership.
Resources to support growth in this behaviour
Whether this behaviour has been chosen through Step 1. Diagnose, highlighted through reflection or coaching, or identified as a school or trust priority, you can now follow the steps below to develop and embed it in your daily leadership practice.
Step 2. Learn: Read Everyone Succeeds: 54 Leadership Behaviours to Transform Your School to understand what great leadership looks like in practice. Each behaviour is grounded in research and real examples from schools and businesses.
Step 3. Reflect: Use the Everyone Succeeds Workbook to apply ideas to your own context.
Guided reflection, practical actions, and space for planning turn understanding into improvement.
Step 4. Apply: Work through the Leadership Toolkit for this behaviour. Use the Explain the Why toolkit to clarify the purpose behind your decisions so that staff understand not only what you expect but why it matters, creating alignment, clarity, and confidence in your leadership.
Step 5. Coach and practice: Use the Coach and Practise Frameworks to develop this behaviour through clear action steps, reflection questions, and focused practice.
These can be used individually or with colleagues to embed key behaviours.
Step 6. Plan: Set measurable goals using the 90 Day Leadership Planner.
Turn improvement into action by tracking your focus and progress over time, with completed examples for different career stages.
Step 7. Lead: Apply your learning to real situations through the Scenario Finder.
Over fifty scenarios link directly to the behaviours that help you solve the challenges that matter most in your school.
One book suggestion
Start With Why – Simon Sinek (2009).
Explains the Golden Circle (Why → How → What), showing why purpose inspires action. Explains the rationale for starting with “why.” Buy the book.
References from the Everyone Succeeds book
Dodd, D. and Favaro, K., (2007) The Three Tensions: Winning the struggle to perform without compromise (Vol. 272). John Wiley & Sons.
Lencioni, P.M., (2012) The advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business. John Wiley & Sons.
Pink, D.H., (2013) To sell is human: The surprising truth about moving others. Penguin.
Sinek, S., (2009) Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Penguin.