What’s your ‘why’?

As someone who enjoys cricket, I (Andy) was fascinated to see the reactions to England’s recent performances against Australia and the leadership taken by both the captain, Ben Stokes and the coach, Brendon McCullum.  
 
When England lost the first two games, some in the media questioned their new ‘bazball’ approach and suggested a more pragmatic attitude would be appropriate in leading the country against the ‘old enemy’.  Stokes and McCullum, as well as the rest of the players, then responded saying that nothing was going to change, and their revolutionary approach was something they want to instil for the long-term.  So, ‘bazball’ continued in both the third test, which they won and the recently concluded fourth test, which was drawn, as the weather came to the save the Aussies from an almost certain loss!
 
What is really interesting about Stokes and McCullum’s desire to inculcate a new approach is that it wasn’t designed on the basis of it giving the team the best chance of success, rather, it emerged out of a desire to change both their core purpose and identity.  Instead of winning as the sole outcome, they wanted to emphasise entertainment as just as important, if not more so.  In addition to that, instead of players being part of the team because they are playing to win games at all costs, they want to foster a culture where players are able to enjoy their cricket and to enjoy the shared relationships they have in the team.  

As one of the team’s coaches says:
"One of the biggest changes has been that there's probably a purpose and meaning to being in an England squad that is greater, than whether it's a 'W' [win] or an 'L' [loss] at the end of the game.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66002650
 
A key motivation for Stokes to bring about this change seems to be his own mental health challenges and a desire to create an environment where players don’t allow the stress of expectations to determine their sense of well-being.  
 
As leaders, it is important for us all to think about how the purpose and culture we espouse impacts the people we lead.  As Simon Sinek has suggested we should always start with the question WHY!