Start with Why by Simon Sinek
“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”
3 Main Messages:
Make sure you communicate your ‘why’ in your everyday actions
We are drawn to leaders and communicators who are good at communicating what they believe
Every ‘why’ person needs and ‘how’ partner
Any parent of young children or any Early Years teacher will tell you that the most frequently asked question by a toddler is “why?” We start our life being curious about the world around us and it is interesting that we are first and naturally drawn to the question ‘why’ rather than any other question. ‘When, where, which, who or what’ questions allow us to make a selection and to explore but a ‘why’ question gives us motivation or explains the motivation of others.
This book explores the various successful businesses, entrepreneurs and leaders who were, and who remain, highly motivated. These companies have a specific goal, a clear cause and a higher purpose. As Sinek says, they are successful because they are “winning hearts and minds”. By inspiring others to join their mission and purpose, they create unbridled loyalty which means that they will succeed as long as their products and services continue to fulfil their original purpose - their ‘why’.
Sinek admits to using Apple frequently as an example because “they have broad recognition and their products are easy to grasp and compare to others.” He also explores the success of Disney, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Dr. Martin Luther King. I only wish there were some female examples along the way.
He writes that “knowing WHY is essential for lasting success and the ability to avoid being lumped in with others.” Many businesses, organisations and individuals are driven by money and materialism. Those who are following a higher purpose, however, often find that making money is a by-product of their success.
One example given in the book is of Wal-Mart and its enormous impact, which is due to the purpose of its founder, Sam Walton, who believed in people. He felt that “the more Wal-Mart could give to employees, customers and the community, the more the employees, customers and the community would give back to Wal-Mart.” Walton built his stores to serve their communities. Similarly, in the UK (and not mentioned in the book), a high street cobbler called Timpsons looks to create a community for its employees and has a loyal following as a result. After all, as Sinek tells us: “We are drawn to leaders and organisations that are good at communicating what they believe.”
Sinek explains that by appealing to the ‘why’ in us, companies appeal to the limbic brain whereby something feels right; call this a ‘gut feeling’ or a decision made by the heart. This part of the brain is powerful and can sometimes contradict rational thought.
Sinek explains that it is the role of the leaders to create, hold and communicate the ‘why’ of an organisation. This is what will unite and motivate people and inspire them to join. It does not, however, explain what that vision looks like in practice and how we can contribute. It is then also crucial to find and share the ‘how’, which will usually be the role of the Senior Team or board.
Every inspirational ‘why’ leader needs a practical ‘how’ team to make the vision a reality. Sinek gives us the strong example of how Dr Martin Luther King would give empowering and motivational speeches to millions of people, but it was his partner, Ralph Abernathy, who would then follow up with how to put that vision into practice. Walt Disney was a creative master, but his success relied on his brother, Roy, who was a brilliant financier and businessman. Similarly there are examples of how many brilliant visionaries like Bill Gates of Microsoft, Herb Keller of Southwest Airlines and Steve Jobs of Apple all had deputies or partners who turned their ‘why’ into a ‘how’.
Another focus in the book is on the importance of consistency and trust. If clients, customers and colleagues see you consistently behaving and making decisions based upon your basic principles, then they will trust you and will believe in you. Conversely, the opposite is true. If a company or individual has not yet uncovered and shared their ‘true north’ and their ‘why’ then their path may wobble and appear contradictory, and therefore will damage trust. He calls this The Celery Test, where we “communicate your why by what you do”.
In terms of recruitment, the message is that people will want to engage with you for the right reasons if you communicate your ‘why’ clearly enough. The goal is also to hire people who believe in what you believe. Herb Keller said “You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills”. Interestingly, James Timpson from Timpsons, said the same thing and his model fits with the giant that Sinek describes here.
Perhaps the most inspiring leader in the book is Ron Bruder, who believes that “there is always another perspective to be considered.” He worked in many industries and ended up founding the Education for Employment Foundation (EFE) which teaches youths worldwide skills to “change the path that they think they are on.” Leadership is about inspiring change for the better. Sinek says that “to change the world takes the support of all those who believe”. True leadership therefore is about clarity of purpose, meaning and direction: the clarity of WHY.
