I’ve shared Simon Sinek’s wonderful Ted talk before. His message is that great leaders and companies start with the question of “Why?” rather than “What?” Apple doesn’t lead their messages with stats about how great their products are—that’s a “What.” They lead with messages about changing the status quo—that’s a “Why.” And as Sinek reminds us, Martin Luther King gave a powerful “I have a dream” speech (“Why”), not an “I have a plan speech” (What).
He illustrates this with a concept he calls the “Golden Circle.” Effective leaders start with communicating why they believe what they believe. Then they talk about what they do and how they do it.
You’ve probably heard the advice to write your essays about topics that are important to you. It’s good advice. So in your essay responses, don’t forget to answer the question of why this topic is important to you.
We once worked with a student who was a standout volleyball player and wrote her entire essay about playing two-on-two beach volleyball tournaments with her dad. But her “Why?” was that volleyball for her had become a job. It was a job she loved, but one that was filled with competition and a pressure to perform. The beach tournaments were her opportunity to have fun playing volleyball and to share an experience with her dad. The details of the tournaments and how much time she dedicated to them were important and made their way into the story. But it was a more effective tale because she also shared the “Why?”
Whether you’re writing an essay about an activity, an experience, or motivation to apply to a particular college, don’t forget the “Why?” It doesn’t have to be a big, sweeping big message about changing the world. If your “Why?” is important to you, it’s important to your story. And colleges will want to know about it.