Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

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Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 2,508 ratings · 295 reviews

Why do you do what you do?

Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published October 29th 2009 by Portfolio Hardcover (first published 2009)

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Apr 08, 2013 Lili Manolache rated it 5 of 5 stars

Simon Sinek describes in his book "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" how leaders and companies should work as a series of circles, i.e. "The Golden Circle" - the why, how, and what. This idea explains why organizations and leaders inspire the others. Everybody knows what they do, some know how they do it, very few people know why they do what they do. The way we communicate, think and act is very easy: we go from the clear things we know to the more fuzzy ones. T...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Annemieke Windt rated it 3 of 5 stars

In his book Start with Why Simon Sinek makes a case for companies to have a clear Why as the underlying principle for doing business. Using the Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King and Apple as primary examples Sinek states that companies that are clear about why they are in business have a better chance of loyality from costumers, even when the company experiences setbacks.

Sinek claims that companies that only have What they make and How they make it at the heart of their business will suffer di...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Jeff rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Simon Sinek presents a compelling vision of how companies, organizations, and individuals can achieve success. His simple message? Start with why. Which is to say the guiding principle of our endeavors should be based not on what we do or how we do it, but rather on why we do it. According to Sinek, those agencies that can effectively articulate their "why" (or purpose) are most likely to develop loyal followers and long term success.

Sounds great Jeff, so why just two stars? Well, there's a num...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Terhi Salonen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-business, business

OK, I know; this is like all those ten thousand other business books that claim they have some new insight on how to succeed in your business. I know that Sinek doesn't really reinvent the wheel here. And I know that if I was a bit more skeptical or cynical by nature,I wouldn't probably feel this way about the book. But.

I'm actually proud to be as wide-eyed as I am. I'm the first to admit, I get way excited very easily. The cautious ones tell me that even maybe too easily - and probably worry th...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Loy Machedo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Loy Machedo’s Book Review – Start With Why by Simon Sinek

TED Talks is an incredible platform for someone to either make it or break it. And in the case of Simon Sinek, the 5 Million plus views he received on his talk not only must have catapulted him to the ‘Management Guru’ status, it also ensured his book became a New York Time Best Seller.

But here let me surprise you – The book is Great and then the Author & Book Publisher Mess it up badly.

Lets start with the fundamentals.
What made Simon...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Experience Life rated it 4 of 5 stars

We are easily caught up in the details of what we want to do, and how we are going to get it all done. Communications expert Simon Sinek argues that we’d be far better off if we more regularly focused on why we’re investing all that effort and activity in the first place. It’s the WHY, after all, that inspires action, that galvanizes people and keeps them going when the going gets tough. Embodying our WHYs and effectively communicating them to anyone who will listen, asserts Sinek, is crucial to...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Gordon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: decision-making-planning, economics-human-behavior, leadership, strategy

A must read for any leader of any organization. I first saw Simon Sinek on a TED show and realized I was going to read his book. His message is simple -- people follow a leader because they believe in the "why" or the purpose that leader embodies. Simon presents the simple model of the "golden circle" - why + how + what - and explains how it can be used to explain, analyze, assess any organization. Using great examples of successful companies and leaders, Simon explains why those who focus on th...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Stefy Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

A must read for those who feel lost and unaccomplished, for the uninspired that want to be inspired, and for leaders or aspiring leaders who want to inspire. This books helps you rediscover your roots and the reason you chose to follow the path you’re on: the big WHY.
Sinek is able to distinguish from manipulation and inspiration. He explains how’s the fist creates all but long-term effects (in terms of customer loyalty, economic gain, trust with subordinates, relationships between businesses)...more A must read for those who feel lost and unaccomplished, for the uninspired that want to be inspired, and for leaders or aspiring leaders who want to inspire. This books helps you rediscover your roots and the reason you chose to follow the path you’re on: the big WHY.
Sinek is able to distinguish from manipulation and inspiration. He explains how’s the fist creates all but long-term effects (in terms of customer loyalty, economic gain, trust with subordinates, relationships between businesses) using manipulative tools of price, fear, peer pressure and novelty (which is different from innovation). Organizations, institutions and companies should use these tools, concentrating on the WHAT and HOW, and forgetting to highlight the WHY.
The golden circle helps to put in context why we do what we do. To do that, it has to be read from the inside-out (WHY-HOW-WHAT) as opposed to the outside-in (WHAT-HOW-WHY), which ends up overlooking the core beliefs and values a company/organization should be built on. Although Sinek is a bit redundant throughout the book, he does bring out very good points as to why the WHY is so important, if not indispensable.
He supports his thesis with real life examples of companies or leaders (Apple, the Wright brothers, officers in the military or military itself) that were successful thanks to the values, the beliefs, the WHY they had in their core, which people were able to see and identify with. They don’t just sell WHAT they do (the product) or HOW they do it, but WHY they do it. It is the WHY that gets through people’s limbic brain (where feelings and intuition is cultivated), enabling them to understand if that’s right or wrong for them; if they can identify for the same WHY as that culture/company then it “feels” right to be part of it or buy its products. To do that, the end result (the WHAT) and how you get there (the HOW) has to be in balance with the WHY. Balance is what generates authenticity. Without it, the buyer/subordinate/follower won’t feel fulfilled and will doubt not only the WHAT but the WHY of that company/organization.
Trust is built thanks to authenticity and it doesn’t come easy, no surprise there. A self-less and clear WHY, a disciplined HOW (having values and principles as guidelines) and a consistent WHAT (what you say is what you do) builds integrity, which will eventually be perceived by others and will ensure loyalty and trust.
Sinek doesn’t just focus on the customer, but explains the importance of the employee. There are no happy customers without happy employees. Just like customers, who end up buying what they believe to feel achieved, employees have to feel like they belong and share the beliefs of the company to feel like they belong and a are part of something bigger than them. The hiring process is not mechanical. Credentials are important when hiring, but what about motivation and inspiration? A person has to WANT to be part of something and help that something in the process of getting bigger. The WHY of the employees has to fit with the WHY of the company. This will help both stick together in tougher times and share the glory of happier ones.
His views go hand in hand with the military life style (personally connected to it). Volunteered people, who share the same beliefs and values, working in synergy to help todays and tomorrows military become better than yesterdays, all while keeping citizens safe and serving the country overseas. In my eyes, integrity personified.
If this makes sense to you, pick up the book and read it.

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Aug 05, 2010 Jesse Field rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: essay

Stuart Sinek gave a really great TED Talk that summarizes the argument of this book: when we get caught up in the details of HOW and WHAT we are working on, it is very easy to forget WHY we are doing it.

For example, at the turn of the 20th century, the Wright brothers were trying to build something that would fly with no support and very little money of their own. Meanwhile, Samuel Pierpont Langley was given full government subsidy to solve the problem of flight. But the Wright brothers got the...more Stuart Sinek gave a really great TED Talk that summarizes the argument of this book: when we get caught up in the details of HOW and WHAT we are working on, it is very easy to forget WHY we are doing it.

For example, at the turn of the 20th century, the Wright brothers were trying to build something that would fly with no support and very little money of their own. Meanwhile, Samuel Pierpont Langley was given full government subsidy to solve the problem of flight. But the Wright brothers got their first and Langley didn't. How so? "They were pursuing the same goal, but only the Wright brothers were able to inspire those around them and truly lead their team to develop a technology that would change the world. Only the Wright brothers started with Why."

"Why" here means not the motivating factors, but the "passion" to succeed, directed at some measurable activity. As A. mentioned, this is an argument a serial killer would use to get the idea that he was doing the right thing by being the best serial killer he could be (and damn the world for doubting his passions!). It is an amoral, ethics-free system for thinking about enterprise.

Token mention of Martin Luther King aside, most examples in this book refer to the enterprise of coming up with products to sell: iPhones, TiVo, Harley-Davidson. It's as if all great tasks in life are things we sell each other, from motorcycles to social justice. That's a profound thought, and not one I can either accept or deny at the moment. Is spreading justice a matter of salesmanship? As a teacher I respond immediately with "yes," but as a researcher and a devoted reader I remember, out at the edge of my mind, that there is something to life besides sales. There's something else, a need to connect with others, a drive to help, to add to the world, that isn't covered here.

The style of the book is short, blockish sentences. Clearly it is written so that even people with short attention spans will be engrossed. This works better in speech than in print. Overall, I'd say the TED talk is a far more successful product than the book. (less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Robb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, business-self-improvement

I liked the concept of this book and too (like others) had stumbled across the author's TED talk before reading. The concept of leading with your why instead of the how and what your product does to differentiate is another example of something that should be simple and so obvious why isn't everyone doing it this way.....the author's examples show how you can say the exact same thing but by starting with the why the message is more clear and meaningful. Examples of why companies are some of the...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Sarah Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is another book I read for a leadership class at work. The basic premise of this book is that successful leaders and organizations are led first by a sense of why. In other words, what is the cause or inspiration for why an organization does what it does? Sinek argues that without a clear sense of why driving the what and how of an organization works, it is unlikely to be successful in the long term.

Sinek bases his theory and advice on examples of great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.,...more This is another book I read for a leadership class at work. The basic premise of this book is that successful leaders and organizations are led first by a sense of why. In other words, what is the cause or inspiration for why an organization does what it does? Sinek argues that without a clear sense of why driving the what and how of an organization works, it is unlikely to be successful in the long term.

Sinek bases his theory and advice on examples of great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and numerous others. While I do see the pattern behind what he's saying and think it has validity I was frustrated by his use of big names as examples. These leaders may have that in common, but I doubt all of them consciously thought to themselves, "I know, the road to success is to start with 'why'" and they certainly didn't know about Sinek's advice. I felt like he was dipping into the pot of others' success by using them to bolster his own opinion of how to succeed. In some ways, I found Sinek's counter-examples to be more persuasive for me. For example, TiVo's advertising was directed at what their product does instead of explaining to consumers why they would want to own one. Because of this and despite of their highly innovative and effective product, their sales were dismal and cable company DVR devices have bested them.

However, that being said, I did like many of the points Sinek made. For example, addressing why in marketing directs attention more to the limbic system - the feeling center, while focusing on what directs attention to the neocortex, which is more focused on rational thought. People are more likely to follow their feelings or their "gut" and therefore, more likely to follow someone promoting the cause of their business than the what that they do.

Additionally, while not his main focus, I appreciated that Sinek acknowledged that it is the slim minority who are daring and innovative enough to strike out on their own to promote their "why." Not everyone can be Steve Jobs. Some people are "how people" who are less focused on the visionary and more on how to make that vision happen. It takes both of these to make something like Wal-mart or Apple a successful business. I also liked the idea of applying this business and leadership strategy to everyday life - for example, the American Dream is the why of many in our culture that gives Americans a sense of possibility and opportunity.

This book raises some interesting points. It would be particularly helpful to those looking to start their own business or considering their direction in their current business or marketing strategy. (less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Msj8484 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this at the urging of a friend who's business is marketing and marketing graphic design. What I found most intriguing is that we cannot often put our finger's on the why of our purchases. For example, Apple markets itself as the revolutionary vs. big corporate control (interesting--they are a large company themselves with a large market share). Without saying so explicitly, the ads portray Apple as the cool, laid-back real guy, contrasted to the plastic, stuck-up pc. It is not marketing a...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Derek Emerson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-books-read, career

The plethora of business and leadership books indicate a desire by many to improve either themselves or their business. While this is a worthwhile goal, a great many of the books published fail to address the fundamental issues which are behind successful people. Equally alarming is the number of them that not only miss the fundamental issues, but do it with deplorable writing in the process.

As a result, Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, shoul...more The plethora of business and leadership books indicate a desire by many to improve either themselves or their business. While this is a worthwhile goal, a great many of the books published fail to address the fundamental issues which are behind successful people. Equally alarming is the number of them that not only miss the fundamental issues, but do it with deplorable writing in the process.

As a result, Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, should be a welcome addition to those few books which leaders return to and pass on to others. Sinek's thinking may have been heard in different formats in different times, but his simple and concise explanation of how to improve as a leader is something that can have an immediate impact on the reader.

Sinek begins by saying what he has to offer does not attempt to supplant others, nor will he fix all the things that do not work. Instead, he notes "I wrote this book as a guide to focus on and amplify the things that do work." Therein lies one of the many strengths of this book, namely that it is a positive book. While he does point to some failures to show how situations could have been different, his focus is on what has worked and why.

"Why" is the essential question. Sinek describes how leaders and companies should work as a series of circles, which he describes as "The Golden Circle" playing off the mathematical relationship of the "golden ratio" The first and central circle is "why," surrounded by "how," and the final encompassing circle is "what." The "what" describes the products or services of a company; in other words, it is what they do. "How" explains how companies get to what they do. "Why" is the purpose or belief which underlies the how and what.

Given the title of the book we can see where Sinek is heading. His premise is that companies which do well focus on their "why," while many companies which fail have lost that focus. Sinek believes that if customers understand the why of a company, and they believe in the why, they will naturally end up buying the "what." In other words, people like companies with a vision which matches their own. One element of this thought which gives more credibility to Sinek's thesis is that not everyone will like the vision of a company. Sinek is not offering the golden egg which will bring you fortune by attracting everyone. He says be true to your own vision and the rest will follow if they like what they hear.

His primary example is Apple, Inc. and their leader, Steve Jobs. Sinek points out that Apple computers are more expensive than PCs, have less software available to use on them, and at times are even slower than the competition. So why do people buy them? Because they buy into Apple's "why." Apple has from the beginning marketed itself as the rebel, the individual, the unique voice. They market themselves that way because that is how they envision themselves. People who buy into that vision will pay more for a computer that reflects their values. By focusing on their why, Apple has also been able to easily branch out from computers and and develop the iPod and iPhones. Those products fit their image as the rebel. Sinek says their products may not even be the best or first on the market, but they quickly emerge as the leader.

When a company forgets their why to focus on the what, they often fail. Volkswagon has been the automotive equivalent of peace and love since the VW van ruled the 1960s. They put a vase for flowers on their Beetle's dashboard! So when they introduced the Phaeton, a high-end luxury car, it failed. Volkswagon's engineering is legendary and the critics loved the Phaeton, but it did not represent the "why" of Volkswagon which has attracted so many people.

Sinek is quick to show that a clear "why" not only helps sales, it helps employees. If leaders want to inspire others than they need to show a vision for what they are doing. Here he moves out of business to show how this translates into social issues as well. He says if Martin Luther King, Jr. gave an "I Have a Plan" speech instead of "I Have a Dream," we may have received more details on how to accomplish something, but without the why the civil rights movement could not succeed. Leaders need to inspire followers with their "why," and if they succeed they'll find that vision being translated into success.

The book offers a number of examples to support Sinek's ideas as well as providing ideas for how to check on if an action is following the "why." Sinek himself is a business consultant, but he avoids putting together a compilation of his favorite exercises (and of course, how they lead to success); instead, he focuses on his "why" and creates a book which is not about him. Apple is successful, but they did it without Sinek. What Sinek does is look at those who have succeeded, figures out why, and then passes those ideas on to us.

This is a must read for leaders of any type, but also for anyone wanting to get back to basics. While he resists the temptation to create a self-help book, it is not a stretch to see how making sure our personal actions reflect on our "why" will only lead to a fuller life. Sinek is new in the business publishing world, but with this start his future books will be eagerly awaited.

Sinek's website focuses on the concepts and offers some video links as well. His talk at Tedx is a great summary of the book -- but still read the book to get the full picture. (less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Great TED Talk, but not enough to carry a book.
Says the same platitudes over and over. The main concept that persuasive argument starts with connection, then emotions, then facts goes back to Aristotle and is nothing new.
The plus-value here would come from present real world illustrations, but this is where he trips himself up in self-contradictions. For example,
Apple Inc. is great because they are so original, i.e. they don't just copy and refine, they truly "innovate." But Southwest Airlines...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Al Velosa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book enough to listen to it twice in audio book.
This is an excellent analysis of of the impact of the emotional and the intellectual structure of the brain onto business strategy, business development and marketing. While he does rely on Apple examples too much, he does do an excellent analysis of Microsoft and founder Bill Gates' focus on creating tools to help people reach their full potential. To me the main point of this book is that we need to start with the why we do things. H...more

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May 04, 2012 Michelle Despres rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: usa, business, nonfiction, own

Started reading the library copy and ended up buying my own copy. It's that good.

What I didn't like: A few sections dragged out a bit too long. I was tired of hearing about Apple (although Apple is a perfect example of The Golden Circle, which is what the book is about)and Southwest (although some of the Southwest stories are brilliant).

What I liked: Examples included historical and non-business stories. So many of the stories are genius. I have used some of the stories in my work to help explai...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Constantin added it

Shelves: entrepreneurship

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. * Our behavior is affected by our assumptions or our perceived truths. We make decisions based on what we think we know.

* the message starts with WHY and represents: a purpose, cause or belief

* people don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
The problem is, organizations use the tangible features and benefits to build a rational argument for why their company, product or idea is better than another.

* When communicating from the inside out, however, the WHY is offered as the reason to buy a...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Fred Leland rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was very well researched and written in a way that indeed gels with the Author Simon Sinek s "WHY" of inspiring others. The book is based on the premise of most people know what they do. Some know how to do WHAT they do. But very few know WHY they do what they do. Most think from what to how and then on to why. Simon Sinek submits...start with WHY and the how and what will come naturally. By WHY he means whats our purpose,and beliefs behind what we do? The book provides great examples...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Mo Tipton rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: biz-money-econ

I was completely enthralled by the first few chapters of this book, and I found Sinek's ideas about why customers (and employees) become loyal to certain companies and not others fascinating, and I'm inspired to put these ideas into practice in my own business.

Why only two stars? After grasping the concept of starting with why (versus what or how), I found myself getting increasingly impatient by story after story after story after story of businesses and individuals who either put these ideas...more

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Oct 21, 2012 David Mandell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm new to the world of business self-help books. This is my second or third, and follows immediately on the heels of "The No Asshole Rule." I found this one much more helpful. The basic premise is that the core mission and related values of an organization should drive every business and marketing decision. The book is easy to read, and only occasionally simplistic. As with much of the business world, as I'm finding, a few case studies drive much of the examples, and it sometimes appears that t...more

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Oct 26, 2012 David Lamondy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book. It sets a clear path of understanding the success some have had by keeping in touch with its roots, its values, its "Why". Simon does not belittle the importance of How we do things or what we do, but rightly keeps us on track o properly prioritizing why we do something as central to success. He points to the almost cult-like following of charismatic leaders such as Steve Jobs who guided great success and dominance by keeping employees and followers in touch with why h...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such a simple concept, but I wholeheartedly agree that when you undertake any project or task or work, when you have a clear and inspiring "why" at the beginning, things just work better. Good book, good thoughts.

One niggle: Sinek spent a majority of time giving wonderful examples of the way "why" impacts different companies and organizations. There's not really much in the way of answering "How do I figure out my why?" While he uses the battle of Agincourt as a metaphor and his own journey to f...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Cj Sime rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't recall his declaration at the beginning of the book, but at the end the author states his goal as wanting to inspire others, this goal wasn't achieved by me. The book didn't excite me and conversely it kind of bored me.

Favorite quotes:
"The only way people will know what you believe is by the things you say and do, and if you're not consistent in the things you say and do, no one will know what you believe." --page 67

"The pessimists are usually right, but it's the optimist who change the...more

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Nov 22, 2012 George Wang rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first watched the TED talk in the summer of 2012, months before I came across the book. The simple concept os Start with Why was apparent in every part of my life since I watched the 15 minute TED talk.

I started the read with the expectation that it's just more examples reinforcing the same idea, but it does much more than that. The core message of this book is Start with Why, it extends this simple three-word principle to every reach of life, career, business, politics, science. Simon tells v...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Anugerah Erlaut rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started reading this book without a reason, enthused by my friend who had talked about it. He had finished the book twice, and I'm buying a copy for myself. I have not discovered my why when I started reading the book. But after reading it, I feel obliged to start my activity with why.

Start With Why is an excellent book, both to inspire and as a self-help book. Although Simon Sinek had written that it is a book about how great leaders discover, I believe he implies that everyone of us is a lea...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tricia by: Kelly Smith

The title of Simon Sinek's "Start with WHY" is really the best summary of the book.

A quick, yet insightful read, "WHY" is Sinek's answer for those looking to differentiate in a world of commodities or rhetoric—"people don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it." Products or ideas.

He provides a variety of case studies to showcase his clever "Golden Circle" concept (originally introduced in his well-worth-watching TEDx video) as well as expands the framework to reflect organizational structure...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Gera Yeremin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: business

This was one of those books that makes you stop and think. The main question it asks is "why are you doing what your doing".

The rest of the book goes about explaining why knowing why your doing what your doing is the most important thing you can do in business.

If each morning you don't have a clear path to why your going to be unhappy and burn yourself out.

Here are some key points.
-People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.
-Starting with why gives you less choses so you can spend your...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Robert Chapman rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leadership, personal-development

I gave this book only one star because I really did not feel that it brought value. I’ll admit that perhaps this is partially because I have read a lot on this topic and I have heard many of the stories before, but ultimately I felt the book came up short on thought provoking value.

The message about why the “why” is so important was made clear a short way into the book, and from that point on it was just one story after another to illustrate the point. I think that a reader interested in this to...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Dort Goodman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book made me think. Simon is saying that there is a part of our brain that has a passion that cannot be communicated solely through words but perhaps more through action. That what we do in life...that if we have a "why"...we will do it much better.

It makes you search for your Why? It inspires you to think beyond where you are now...to where you could go if you would take chances to step out in your dreams. He uses several different examples of this. I did watch his short video on TED vide...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Scottnshana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think this book has a useful model for business and marketing. When organizations/companies/leaders stray from their initial mission--or don't have a clear and coherent vision of it in the first place--things go wrong. The men who provide that vision--the WHY--must nurture and preserve it so their lieutenants--the HOW people--can continue to produce the WHAT. Sinek's observations about Steve Jobs, Sam Walton, and others support this. When entities like Wal-Mart deviate from the WHY--Walton's v...more

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“People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe” — 8 people liked it

“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.

Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief - WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us.

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not “integrity,” it’s “always do the right thing.” It’s not “innovation,” it’s “look at the problem from a different angle.” Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea - we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders—in that order.

Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.

You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.

Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. People are either motivated or they are not. Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.

Trust is maintained when values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep clarity, discipline and consistency in balance, then trust starts to break down.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.” — 3 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7108725-start-with-why?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360936414l/7108725.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7108725-start-with-why?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek[/url]

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

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