Strategy behaviour S1
Explain the Why
People comply with instructions but commit to reasons. Explain why a decision matters before asking people to act, and turn compliance into ownership.
Jump to S1 resources ↓What this behaviour looks like
Purpose before action
A leader explains why a decision matters before asking people to act. Whether speaking with pupils, colleagues, families or the wider community, they connect the message to a clear purpose and make the next step easy to understand.
A practical example
Introducing a consistent classroom routine
Instruction alone“Every class must use the new entry routine from Monday.”
With the why“We want pupils to begin learning calmly and promptly in every room. A consistent entry routine gives teachers more teaching time and helps children know what to expect. Let’s practise it together and check whether it makes lesson starts better.”
Protect learning time and make classrooms calmer.
Agree and practise a shared entry routine.
Review lesson starts and listen to staff and pupils.
Write your own purpose, action and check: why it matters for pupils, what colleagues will do, and how you will know it is working.
S1 · Resources for your setting
Put ‘Explain the Why’ into practice
Develop your own practice or lead the learning with your team. Use the chapter and workbook to explore the behaviour, then choose the resources that fit your next step.
Apply · Your leadership practice
Put it to work
Use the S1 Playbook to turn the behaviour into practical action on a real leadership challenge.
- Practical toolkit and coaching prompts
- A practice script to rehearse your approach
- A 90-day plan to guide your next steps
Members only · Explore membership →
Apply · Learning with your team
Lead a team session
Use the S1 INSET PowerPoint to help colleagues explore the behaviour and plan how to put it into practice.
- Editable slides to adapt to your setting
- Speaker notes to support facilitation
- Discussion, rehearsal and planning
Members only · Explore membership →
Completed Playbooks
See S1 applied in eight leadership contexts
Choose your role to explore the challenge, the leader’s response and the intended result. Members can read the complete example and download an editable Word copy.
In a primary school
In a secondary school
Across schools
Selected completed example
In a primary school · Headteacher
Early attendance support
Hassan · Headteacher · 340-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Early attendance support
The challengeWaiting until absence is entrenched makes it harder to restore children’s attendance, while an early contact can feel like surveillance to families.
What the leader doesThe headteacher asks staff to notice patterns weekly, open family conversations with curiosity, agree practical support and record the barrier, owner and next conversation.
What success looks likeBy day 30 staff should explain the purpose of earlier contact; by day 60 conversations should produce shared actions; by day 90 persistent absence should begin to fall.
Hamza · Assistant Headteacher for teaching quality · 340-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
Responsive teaching cycles
The challengeOnly 37% of staff can explain how the cycles should improve pupils’ learning, and experienced colleagues suspect familiar good practice is being repackaged with a form.
What the leader doesThe assistant headteacher models a real misconception, shows the three-sentence record beside the paperwork it replaces and asks staff what decision the cycle helps them make and how they will know it worked.
What success looks likeBy day 30 at least 85% of staff should explain the purpose; by day 60 teams should use two proportionate cycles each week; by day 90 pupil misconceptions should be addressed more quickly.
Oscar · History Lead and Year 3 teacher · 340-pupil primary school
Worked example at a glance
A revised History sequence
The challengeColleagues are fixed on a familiar local topic moving, and nobody has yet seen the progression in enquiry, evidence, chronology and interpretation that the change is for.
What the leader doesThe History lead uses current and revised pupil tasks to show which historical thinking becomes more demanding, places valued local history within stronger enquiries and asks colleagues where they can see the progression.
What success looks likeBy day 30 teachers should explain the sequence in plain language; by day 60 revised enquiries should be jointly planned; by day 90 pupil work should show stronger historical reasoning.
Mustafa · Headteacher · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,110 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Belonging as a strategic priority
The challengeBelonging is already in the development plan, but pupils and staff define it differently and the activities listed under it do not add up to a strategy.
What the leader doesThe headteacher defines belonging as three conditions pupils experience: a reliable adult relationship, fair access and dignified routines. Leaders test decisions against them and stop activities that do not improve a condition.
What success looks likeBy day 30 community members should explain the three conditions; by day 60 actions should target evidenced gaps in participation and routines; by day 90 pupil belonging and educational outcomes should improve.
Tariq · Assistant Headteacher for professional development · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,110 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Launching instructional coaching
The challengeObservation has blurred development and accountability here before, so reassurance that coaching is confidential will not be enough. The system itself has to show it.
What the leader doesBefore any cycle begins, the assistant headteacher explains the developmental purpose, the right to choose a coach outside line management, what senior leaders will not see and the safeguarding exception.
What success looks likeBy day 30 staff should explain the purpose and boundaries of coaching; by day 60 cycles should include rehearsal and a return visit; by day 90 trust and classroom practice should improve.
Ibrahim · Head of Year 7 · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,110 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Transition as curriculum
The challengeSome tutors see the six-week Year 7 sequence as work primary schools and families should already have done, rather than knowledge of secondary systems pupils need to take part.
What the leader doesThe head of year shows tutors six teachable routines taught through model, rehearse and check, removes three standalone assemblies and judges success by what pupils can do independently.
What success looks likeBy day 30 tutors should explain the curriculum purpose; by day 60 pupils should use the taught routines and routes for help; by day 90 transition barriers should reduce across the term.
Matthew · Head of Physics · ages 11 to 16 secondary school, 1,110 pupils
Worked example at a glance
Preparing for practical Physics
The challengePupils and families read brief conceptual preparation as less practical Science, when its purpose is to help pupils predict, measure and explain for themselves.
What the leader doesThe head of Physics limits the model to eight minutes, protects practical time and asks teachers and pupils what the preparation should let pupils do themselves in the next investigation.
What success looks likeBy day 30 teachers and pupils should explain the sequence; by day 60 pupils should make more independent experimental decisions; by day 90 understanding should improve with no loss of practical entitlement.
Feroz · Trust Deputy Chief Executive · thirteen-school trust
Worked example at a glance
A trust inclusion entitlement
The challengeHeadteachers support greater equity, but fear that a common trust promise will become a prescribed delivery model that a small school cannot resource.
What the leader doesThe deputy chief executive names the fixed pupil entitlement, the decisions headteachers keep and the central capacity the trust will provide, then asks headteachers to test whether the promise is credible in their school.
What success looks likeBy day 30 leaders should explain the entitlement and their local freedoms; by day 60 four schools should be testing the funded workflow; by day 90 the entitlement should be approved with credible capacity.
The complete Playbook is for members
Turn this example into action
Read the full toolkit, coaching and practice scripts, and 90-day plan. Members can view the PDF here and download an editable Word copy.
Resources for this behaviour
Templates and checklists from the resource library that put S1 into practice.
Further reading
Recommended book
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.”
References from the Everyone Succeeds book
- Lencioni, P.M. (2012) The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Dodd, D. and Favaro, K. (2007) The Three Tensions: Winning the Struggle to Perform Without Compromise. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pink, D.H. (2012) To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. New York: Riverhead Books. Buy on Amazon ↗
- Sinek, S. (2009) Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio. Buy on Amazon ↗
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