During our two weeks of GHC training at Yale, one of the sessions which was particularly compelling for me was called ‘Considering Collective Action’ during which we watched a TED talk by Simon Sinek about “How great leaders inspire action.” You can watch it here. There are many great points to take home, however the overarching message is that inspirational leadership which leads to change and action, all starts with the question ‘WHY?’. “People buy why you do it, not what you do.” Sinek says, “We choose to follow people because we want to, and we want to because they inspire us, because we believe in what they believe.” In Sinek’s model, ‘WHY’ is the purpose, the core belief(s) that influences and drives our decisions (How) and actions (What).
What followed the TED talk was some reflection time around ‘why global health?’’, around why we each personally chose to be a part of and desire to be leaders in this field and movement. Why? Because I believe that health is a human right for all. I believe every human is valuable and worth being able to reach their full potential. I believe that we have a shared responsibility to address health inequalities in whatever way we can. I believe that where someone is born should not determine his or her quality of life and health.
Having passed the first quarter of my year as a GHC fellow, it seems that training and those moments of reflection were so long ago. However the importance and relevance of those thoughts and reflections has only increased as the fellowship has progressed.
Why am I here? That’s a question that I, and other fellows have asked ourselves at some stage during these first 3 months. The transition into our unique placement sites came with many wins and joys, but also challenges and frustrations. Challenges of various natures – cultural adjustment, changes in role, differences in expectations, workplace culture, organizational politics, stress of the daily duties, personal battles with one’s sense of adequacy – to name just a few that fellows shared about at our Quarter 1 retreat. When I was walking through that period of frustration at finding myself doing what I didn’t expect or envisioned doing I certainly voiced the question ‘Why am I here?’. In the context of my responsibilities at that time, I felt I was missing the opportunity for professional development and for making a significant difference being caught up in filling a gap to distribute daily meals instead of the strategic planning and management work I envisioned.
But then, it was during this time that through the simplest, everyday moments I was reminded about the real WHY. Moments like getting swarmed with hugs and giggles from a group of 5 year olds who had just finished their meal. Being personally approached and thanked by a soft-spoken fourth grader for ‘being so nice and helping out at the Clubhouse.’ Seeing kids snack happily on green apples. Being asked by 11 year olds if they can help out, and who end up sharing with me their stories of school and life. Yet another was seeing kids break down in tears when they arrive late because they were hungry and had not eaten all day. These and many other moments have taught me, first and foremost, another, deeper level of humility. To realize that what I wrote off as a somewhat ordinary task was the exact opposite for these children. Whilst I held high the importance of ensuring these children were getting a nutritious meal and not going hungry, I’ve realized the difference made in the lives of the children has been so much more than that.
I have learnt that who I am as a person can be just as, or even more influential and catalytic for change than the work I do.
I have learnt the most powerful WHY isn’t necessarily a ‘what’ but rather a ‘WHO’.
Who is my Why? The youth of BGCN and Newark.
Who is your Why? Who are the people that drive you to do what you do?
What we do can be driven by big WHYs – beliefs to address health issues, social injustices. These are all valid and extremely important to have as we engage in the global health movement. But what I now also believe is that the question “Who is your why?” is just as important to consider, as it is this that will motivate us through the less ‘glamorous’ or more difficult times of our work. Because when we remember who is impacted by our actions, we understand that every action counts and is important, no matter how big or small we first perceive it to be. Whether you are handing out snacks, evaluating data or advising policy, at the end of the day what matters is whether we have made a difference in the lives of the people and communities we serve.