Is your "Why" as a leader truly yours, or just what is expected of you?
- Joel Abel
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
What’s Your “Why” as an Education Leader?
A lot of leaders in education know what they do. Many can explain how they do it.
But far fewer can clearly articulate why they lead.
In a profession that demands so much from teachers and staff — emotionally, mentally, logistically — the best school leaders are those who connect every decision to purpose. Not just vision statements or KPIs, but a personal and shared sense of meaning.
As EdSurge recently put it:
“In the hardest seasons of school leadership, it’s your ‘why’ that holds you steady. It’s what pulls you forward when the path gets difficult.”
We often assume that a leader’s "why" in education must be something noble and traditional — “for the children,” “to make a difference,” “to foster learning.” And those are powerful, valid motivations.
But they’re not the only ones.
Your "why" might be rooted in operational excellence — the belief that smooth systems allow teachers to thrive.
It might be the joy of team-building and leadership, helping others succeed.
It might be organization and clarity, transforming chaos into structure so the school can actually function.
Those “nontraditional whys” are no less meaningful — in fact, they’re critical. The education sector doesn't just need visionaries and classroom heroes. It needs project managers, culture builders, and team stewards. It needs people who find purpose in crafting the engine that makes the learning possible.
For me, that "why" became clear after years in the classroom and in academic leadership. I realized I wasn't driven by lesson planning or classroom instruction (or to be honest, the kids themselves) —I was driven by what unlocks the potential of the people who do that work.
My purpose has always been simple:
I believe that educators are the foundation of every meaningful transformation in society. And if we want better schools, better learning, and better outcomes — we have to support the systems that support the teachers. We have to make good management a priority.
That’s why I wrote Teacher-First Management. That’s why I build leadership frameworks and team structures for academic organizations. And it’s why my work focuses on helping schools turn purpose into process, and process into results.
But this isn’t just a personal reflection. It’s also a challenge:
Do you know your “why”?
Can your team articulate theirs?
Have you created space for different types of purpose — not just the sentimental, but the strategic?
As Early Education Leadership points out:
“A clearly defined ‘why’ gives early childhood leaders the clarity to make tough decisions and inspire confidence across the team.”
If your organization is struggling with alignment, retention, or engagement — go back to the foundation. Start with your why. And if you want help leading that conversation, we can guide you through it.
Send me a message or visit AGNova.net to learn more about our leadership development and team alignment programs.
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