04/18/2025

Don’t Just Tell Your Team What to Do

You must tell them 'why'

For such a small word, why has a tremendous impact. The presence of a reason, for example, makes it easier for people to reach out to others. The power of why extends to other scenarios.

Giving people a reason for a request can also be incredibly impactful in leadership. Many leaders focus on issuing clear instructions, but they often overlook the value of explaining the purpose behind a request. Without that explanation, even straightforward tasks may be met with resistance or resentment, while giving a reason helps to build engagement, ownership and motivation.

As Daniel Pink observed in his book Drive, "People at work are thirsting for context. They want to know that what they do contributes to a larger whole."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Psychology Today.