Start With Why

I am sure that many of you have heard of Simon Sinek from his hugely popular TED Talk ‘Start with Why’ - it is the third most watched talk of all time.  Simon is an optimist, who believes in a brighter future for humanity and our ability to build it together. He has studied how the greatest leaders and organisations think, act and communicate.  I have followed Simon for many years on my leadership journey and have been inspired by his work, his TED talks and his numerous books: Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game.

Simon is often described as a visionary thinker. He has a vision of a world which may not even exist yet: a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, where people feel safe wherever they are and where people end each day fulfilled by the work that they do.

This is a world to which we would all like to belong, I imagine. Many people may feel that they are not there yet. However, I actually believe that here at St. Helen’s College we are so fortunate to have the most incredible work place, colleagues and, most important of all, we have our ‘why’ - your children! Educating your children is our purpose and it takes great expertise, skill and commitment to be the best we can be each and every day for the children.

Our staff are so committed and they impress me daily with how they navigate each day, each lesson, each question and each query from the children’s curious minds.  In fact the staff at St. Helen’s are truly inspiring! 

On this note I would like to take this opportunity to thank every member of our incredible community for what has been yet another turbulent term in this most unusual year.  

As a school leader I have felt well out of my comfort zone in the past year on more occasions than I would ever have imagined. We have had to make difficult decisions, often with minimal or very hazy guidance! But it is the camaraderie and support from colleagues and parents that has made this journey inspiring and I am hugely proud of what we have achieved together. 

I will leave you with one of Simon Sinek’s quotes from his popular book ‘Together is Better’....this resonated so strongly with me.

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress.  Working hard for something we love is called passion”

Happy Easter everyone.

Mrs. Drummond