Our Shared Sense of the Why

When I consider the notion of “The Power of Partnership,” it seems that power often derives from a shared belief in why something matters. It is purpose or meaning that inspires our feeling to nurture whatever that why is. Depending on the context, you may not always articulate the why. You may not talk at the dinner table about the love you have for your family members, but the why behind that powerful partnership is often felt at a level deeper than words can convey.

Working in partnership at Lakeside, each of us can learn so much from giving voice to our understanding of the why. Our partnerships are strengthened as we listen deeply and learn from each other’s points of view, experiences, and ways of thinking. In the process of arriving at a shared understanding, we become grounded in the why, and both what we will do and how we will do it take on deeper relevance. This collective understanding of purpose and meaning drives the power of the partnership.

When the team’s members all believe in the promise and potential of Lakeside, then the how becomes clearer. As a group, we embrace the accurate cliché of TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More), working within our collaborative culture built on values such as communication, trust, vulnerability, kindness, nimbleness, clarity, failing forward, and respect. We understand that people make mistakes. We accept that progress isn’t linear. Our shared sense of the why keeps us together and brings substance to the values we want to exercise in the how.

One of the joys I have experienced this year at Lakeside is working with internal and external partners to advance the mission of our school. Whatever the initiative may be, I have seen the faculty and staff, the student body, the parents and guardians, the alumni, the trustees, and many other friends of the school exercise the power of partnership in their collective formulation and protection of the why. I am confident in the decisions we have made in these partnerships.

We believe in our kids. We believe in our colleagues. And we believe in our school. I am inspired by our community because our belief in the why enables us to imagine together and lean forward into the future to realize the promise and potential of Lakeside.

KAI BYNUM HEAD OF SCHOOL