Simon Sinek's Blog

Getting a Better Job

There is an entire section in our bookstores called "self-help." What we really need is a section called "help others."


To get a better job, you may not need to switch jobs at all.


There is one thing you can do that will not only help you find greater fulfillment, meaning and satisfaction in your career ��� you will also be helping the people around you create the same.

We feel our greatest achievements of success not when we accomplish something for ourselves. We feel our greatest achievements of success when we enable others to accomplish a goal that matters to them.

If you want to get a better job, first and foremost, take charge of your own lot. If you wish to feel more engaged, fulfilled and happy at work, make it your obsession to help the people around you find more engagement, fulfillment and happiness in their jobs. Create it. Not simply for you. Create it for the people around you.

As the proverb states, when you row another person across the river, you get there yourself.
We all have the opportunity to choose to be the leader we wish we had. When we choose to show up to serve the people around us, we become a leader. Regardless of our rank, title or position, we become a leader.

The only requisite of being a leader is followers. A follower is someone who willingly chooses to go where you are going. They believe in you because you believe in them. They trust you because you trust them. They want to go where you are going.

We do not need to leave our current job to create a better one. We can love the one we are with. And, if it turns out that we are more likely to create fulfillment by doing another job at another company or starting something of our own, that���s okay. If we approach our careers with the goal of helping others, we will successfully build a community of people who have our backs and, in turn, we will find job satisfaction and fulfillment, together.

Can Theresa May Lead the UK?: 4 Essential Tips for New Leaders Stepping Into A ���Damned-If-You-Do-Damned-If-You-Don���t��� Job

As Theresa May steps in as the new Prime Minister of Britain, she will be faced with the daunting task of unifying a divided nation. It���s an unenviable position for any leader; a thankless damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don���t job. In Theresa May���s case, if she goes through with the Brexit, she will infuriate half the population that thinks that���s a terrible idea and if she decides not to go through with it she will infuriate the other half that won a popular referendum. What is she to do?

This problem is not unique to leaders of nation states. Leaders of industry are also asked to right rudderless ships with divided crews. The CEO of chemical giant DuPont, Ellen Kullman, for example, unexpectedly quit her job in October, 2015 while the company was still going through a controversial split driven by activist investors. She chose to leave when morale and cooperation were low while politicking and self-interests were running high. The new CEO, Edward Breen, like Theresa May, must now unify a fractured organization in which fear and uncertainty are more common than trust and inspiration. 

Any leader of an organization that is going through upheaval, huge losses, scandal, merger, split, protracted hard times, low engagement, low cooperation or strained trust should take note.

1. Vision! Vision! Vision!

Almost everyone knows the importance of vision for a leader. The problem is most leaders don���t properly articulate a vision. ���Unity,��� ���growth,��� or ���a brighter future��� are not visions. Nor is some financial target to be delivered by the year 2020. The latter is a goal, the former is nothing more than abstract pabulum. Nice words, for sure, but it is not vision and it will not inspire action.

A true vision paints a clear picture of what the world could look like if everything goes perfectly. It is an ideal. And for it to inspire people to act, that vision has to describe a world that would benefit an outside population. It is not simply a reflection of a company���s aspirations (���to be the biggest,��� ���the best��� or ���the most respected,��� for example).

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described his vision in words so clear, the rest of us could imagine exactly what it could like in the world of which he dreamed. A world in which, one day, little black children will hold hands on the playground with little white children. The Civil Rights movement was the path we would take to reach that vision. It was a vision for the people.

Steve Jobs talked about The Revolution, a time in which individuals would have the power to stand up to The Corporation. The personal computer was the tool to advance towards that vision. It was a vision for the people.

Too many leaders think the plan is more important than the vision. The reality however, is the complete opposite. A plan is uncertain, changeable and sometimes flawed. It is the vision that must be immovable, fixed and inspiring. Remember, Martin Luther King gave the ���I have a dream,��� speech, not the ���I have a plan��� speech.

As the new CEO of Britain, Theresa May has an opportunity to deliver a clear vision for the U.K. One that has been lacking for years. A vision not for one group or the other ��� for all Britons. And she needs to do it quickly in order to earn the trust from the people on both sides of the divide.

2. Ask the people to contribute

Once the vision is clear, an effective leader asks those who believe to find ways to help advance towards that vision. Weak are the leaders who promise to carry the people, carry the company or carry a nation. And the reason is simple. It���s a promise they can���t keep. Executives and governments aren���t strong enough to advance entire cultures. Their responsibility is to remind us where we are heading, clear a path, find the resources and support all of those who have committed to help advance the vision. It is the front lines that do the heavy lifting. And that���s a good thing. It gives everyone a feeling they are contributing to something larger than themselves.

When our leaders fail to invite the people to join (and they will only join if the vision is clear and inspiring), then the people will cross their arms and wait for the leaders to ���fix��� everything. A sure recipe for failure and discontent. When, in contrast, our leaders ask for our help, we become the entrepreneurs, innovators and keepers of the vision. This in turn lays a strong foundation for work to advance beyond any leader���s tenure.

It is we who put a man on the moon and brought him back safely. It is we who pushed back Hitler���s advance. It is we who invent the products that define innovative companies.  It is the people of the UK, and only the people of the UK, who can rally around a nation and find the way forward. Our leaders are supposed to support us and stay out of our way. All we want is the chance to contribute to something we believe in. Give the people their chance.

3. Listen to the meaning not the words

When the people demand something it doesn���t mean leaders are supposed to give it to them. What good leaders do is work to understand the reason why the people are asking for what they are asking for. The Brexit vote is a perfect example. Too many of the people who voted for Britain to leave the EU weren���t actually voting for the Brexit (the number of Google searches after the vote for ���what is the EU��� is a clue). What people were voicing was a feeling of being forgotten. They were expressing insecurity for their futures. They were voicing a frustration with income inequality. This was a populist message expressing uncertainty for a future for which their leaders were offering no vision. The problem is, a few politically motivated politicians opted to rally people against something. Which is a lot easier���but careful what you wish for.

We saw the same thing happened in Egypt. We saw a population come together against Hosni Mubarak. But no one was actually leading the uprising. There was little to no single vision for what they were marching towards (of which Mubarak was in their way). With Mubarak out ��� still no unifying vision exists to bring the people together. It���s now more of the same as before. The same is happening in America. Americans are more open and accepting of outsiders than some of our politicians would have us believe. What many American���s feel these days, expressed as xenophobia, is fear, uncertainty and frustration for their own futures. That���s the real problem that must be addressed.

Theresa May must offer programs to help her people feel safe and secure in their jobs and their futures. Kneejerk reactions against something may make us feel like we won something���but that���s only until we are left with the daunting task of trying to figure out what���s next.

4. Consider This Your Last Job

When a politician is motivated to get themselves re-elected, we can tell. When an executive acts to protect their own bonus, we can tell. When a colleague works to advance their own career at the expense of ours, we can tell. And when any leader sees their contribution to us and the vision as primary, even if it costs them an election, a bonus or a promotion ��� then and only then will that leader have the people.

This, sadly, is one of the hardest things for leaders to do. Especially when money, power and fame enter the picture. It���s hard for a CEO to put their people first when the compensation models often reward them for putting their people second (if that). Great leaders would sooner sacrifice their interests to protect the lives of their people and would never sacrifice their people to protect their interests.

We are constantly judging the words and actions of our leaders to form a picture ��� trying to discern if they are acting selflessly or selfishly. If we believe they are acting with our interests in mind, trust and cooperation thrive. If we believe they are more concerned with their careers, paychecks or glory over our wellbeing, cynicism, paranoia, mistrust and self-interest prevail.

In contrast, when we are certain that our leaders are devoted to single, unwavering vision, when we see that they are working to give us the tools we need to contribute to that vision, when we feel they understand our real needs (which may not be the same as the demands we voice), we will gladly offer our blood and sweat and tears to advance the vision. The leaders set the tone.

If Theresa May, or any other leader, wants to get anything good done in the world, she���s going to need the people. She will need to devote all her energy to serve her people, not react to loud voices. And if she does what needs to be done, it may cost her her career. And that���s exactly the kind of leader the people of Britain need right now.

Explaining the Rise of Donald Trump

Whenever I read or hear a news story about the perplexing rise of Donald Trump, I myself am confused. Confused, not by Trump���s rise, but how predictable his rise was given the politics of the past decade.

The Republican Party did such an expert marketing job for the past 8 years that it actually worked. Being a ���Washington insider,��� for some reason, became a dirty thing. ���Outsiders��� were hailed as saviors. This gave rise to the Tea Party movement and laid the foundation for Donald Trump. With zero political experience whatsoever, he is the consummate outsider. Even Ted Cruz, who tries to portray himself as an outsider amongst equals fails in one major respect ��� he holds a political office.

As part of their hatred of all things Obama, the Republican Party waged short-term warfare with the president. As Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate Majority Leader, famously said, ���The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.��� Leadership rallied the party around denying the president any ���wins��� instead of advancing a longer-term agenda for their party or the American people. They made defeating Obamacare a priority, for example, over advancing healthcare for Americans who don���t have it. The problem is, short-term strategies only achieve short-term gains and in the long run, Americans prefer our elected representatives to fight for us, not against each other.

Regardless if it was a good idea or not, the Republican party���s short-term strategy worked. They tied up the system, frustrated the president and incited their base. All positive checks in the short-term gains column. But it came at two significant costs. At some point it became exhausting ��� both for the politicians waging the war, and the population that had to watch it play out. And, it distracted the party from maintaining any sense of a broader, more long-term and inspiring vision. In fact, the lack of a clear vision from either party made for ripe conditions for someone like Donald Trump to step in to stoke our fears.

Vision, be it Ronald Reagan���s shining city on a hill or John F. Kennedy���s moonshot, inspires us. It infuses a nation with hope and optimism for a brighter future. Optimistic vision challenges us to come together to help build something that is good for all of us. Most of all, it offers us a sense of psychological safety ��� the feeling that our leaders have our interests at heart.

Absent a compelling vision of a brighter future, our collective sense of safety gives way to paranoia, cynicism, mistrust and self-interest. And when those conditions exist, all it takes is for a big ego-driven personality to agitate any sense of insecurity we may feel to gain support and get a rise out of the population. This is how so many dictators came to power. It didn���t matter if they made sense ��� what mattered was that they promised to take care of the thing we blamed for making us feel uneasy about our own state. In the case of Donald Trump, Mexicans, Muslims and others.

That Donald Trump has little viable policy ideas to back up his fear stocking is irrelevant. As a PR expert explained to me, people don���t listen to television, they watch it. And Donald Trump is pretty fantastic to watch.

This is not the first time in politics we neglected the power of television. Political historians often refer to the first televised debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy and the famous bead of sweat that dripped down Nixon while Kennedy was poised and composed���and dry. Anyone who listened to the debates on the radio thought Nixon won. But those who watched it on TV gave the win to Kennedy. Television helped Kennedy win that election and television is helping Donald Trump.

Simply because screens are a mainstay of politics now doesn���t mean the rules have changed. In fact, it may be worse now. Few of us listen to the debates on the radio anymore���we almost all watch them. In fact, since television was introduced, we���ve only had two presidents shorter than 6 feet tall ��� Jimmy Carter at 5���9����� and George W. Bush at 5���11�����.

In an age of television the 6��� tall Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, is certainly tall enough to be president. He also seems the most rational, reasonable, optimistic and electable Republican on the stage. But that���s only if you pay very close attention to the words he���s saying. On television, he has no presence whatsoever. And, as a result, he lags woefully behind all of the other more tele-savvy candidates.

All these factors add up to one huge conclusion ��� Americans are sick of politicians. ALL politicians. Republicans and Democrats. That Congress has an approval rating below 15% and hasn���t had an approval rating above 25% (which is still pretty abysmal) since 2009 should tell politicians something. THEY are the problem. We are tired of politicians checking polls before telling us what they think. We are tired of politicians placing their career ambitions ahead of ours. We are tired of politicians standing together against something instead of standing together for something.

People don���t love who Donald Trump is, they love who he���s not. And Hilary Clinton should be worried.

The Left-Siders

The world is a bell curve.  Class room test scores, employee performance in a company or how many people really, really like you. No matter the population you're studying, they always fit neatly across the standard deviations of the famous bell curve. The most important thing about the bell curve is that it is always balanced.  If there are high performers on one side, there are low performers on the other.  It is always balanced.  Which brings me to the topic of this blog: the insane. 

If we look at our population at large, we know that there are some that don't seem to fit well within the majority...in the middle of the curve. On the one side are the ones who end up in jail, in asylums or simply as outcasts.  We know that this population exists, then what's on the other side to balance them off?

There are, in fact, two groups of society's misfits.

The first group, from the right side of the curve, are the socially dysfunctional misfits. These are the groups I just mentioned. They don't seem to live on the same planet as everyone else.  They see things the most others can't. Worse, they lack the ability to interact in normal society. Which is why we push them to the side and point at them.

On the left side of the curve is another group of misfits. Like their brothers and sisters from across the curve, they also seem to live on another planet. They also see things most others can't. However, they are able to live what appear to be normal lives - i.e. they are socially functional.  But don't be fooled. They are still misfits.

If you see things others can't and you're from the right side of the curve, they call you insane.  If you see things others can't and you're from the left side, they call you a visionary.  If you march to the beat of your own drum from the right side, they call you an outcast.  If you march to the beat of your own drum from the left side, they call you unique or authentic.

The left-siders live among us, but they are not always easy to spot. You may have interacted with one at work once or twice. When they are young in their careers, we walk out of meetings with them and think they are weirdos.  When they are advanced in their careers, we walk out of meetings with them and think they are geniuses.

This blog is for the left-siders out there.  You know who you are. The worst part about being a left sider is that it's lonely.  There are not that many out there, the majority - the middle of the bell - don't understand you. They can't see what you see.  They can't imagine the world you can.

I have one word of advice for all of you - don't stop.  Don't quit.  Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can't see it. Listen to your drum and your drum only. It's the one that makes the sweetest sound.  And most importantly, when you meet other left-siders, give them a wink, let them know you know...and help them out when they need it.

The only way the left-siders change the world is when they band together to help each other.

If you suspect you're a left-sider, find another left-sider and tell them the world you imagine. They may know someone who can help you build it.

If you suspect you know someone who is a left-sider, stay close to them, protect them and help them. Often, they are their own worst enemies. They can get in their own way and, if they can't clearly communicate the things they can see, others will fear them or ostracize them. The reason to help them, however, is that they are the ones who lead us into the future. They are the ones who change the world.

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To Be Or Not To Be...Inspired

On a recent flight, as I often do after I board a plane, I was looking out the window as the ground crew was hussling to get the flight ready for take off. I happened to zero in on the guy who was hurling bags onto the conveyor belt, which led to the belly of the plane.

As I looked at him and tried to imagine what his work day must be like, I couldn't help wondering if he would even care if the airline he works for had a Why - a higher cause or purpose meant to inspire employees and customers alike. I mean, it's not a glamorous job, he's out in the weather, rain or shine, there can't be many perks and there's a possibility he'd much rather be doing something else! I was sitting there thinking, would knowing the airline's Why really change the way he felt about his job?

This ate at me a bit because I spend my life preaching the belief that everyone deserves to wake up inspired to go to work and return home fulfilled by the work they do. Suddenly I was worried that this baggage guy was somehow exempt or that it didn't apply to him, simply because he has a job that most people wouldn't say they love or are inspired by.

I voiced my concern on a call with Simon and a couple of other team members to see what they thought. I mean come on, is a baggage handler at the airport really gonna get inspired by the airline's Why? Simon's answer was simple and powerful.

"Who are we to assume that he can't be inspired?" he said.

That doesn't mean he will be, but it's not our place to make that call. This is a lesson I will always keep with me. Let's not aim to inspire only those who we think will be inspired, or who have job titles we think have the possibility for inspiration. Rather, let's talk about what we believe to everyone and give everyone the opportunity to be inspired and become a part of something that matters. Because really, no matter what we do, we all want to feel like we're contributing to something. And that something may just look a little different to me than it does to you.

Knock Down Theory

I have a theory that's based solely on my experience. I'm rarely the smartest, most experienced, most educated person in the room. I think a lot of us find ourselves in that position. It's tempting, when placed in a situation where we feel inadequate, to try to overcompensate - to prove like we belong at the adult table. 
 
We have two choices. Choice #1 -Show up in an attempt to prove that we're good enough, smart enough, experienced enough, or educated enough to be there, even though we're not. Or choice #2 - Show up knowing that we don't yet belong at the adult table and use it as an opportunity to learn, ask questions and contribute in an authentic and meaningful way.  
 
These two choices will bring very different responses. Should you choose #1, you'll likely find that others in the group will take some pleasure in knocking you down a few pegs, likely below your actual level of knowledge, experience or intelligence. If you choose #2, you'll likely find that the group will take pleasure in helping you gain the additional knowlege, skills and experience needed to feel like you belong there.  
 
Two quotes from my friend Simon Sinek come to mind: 'Don't show up to prove. Show up to improve.' and 'Three quarters of an answer is better than an answer and a half.' When we show up to make ourselves look better than we are, and to compete with others, no one wants to help us. When we show up to improve ourselves and contribute whatever we can to the group, everyone will want to help us.

Wrong vs. Missing

Imagine if your boss walked into your office after a meeting about a particular initiative you were heading up and said, "You've been working on this project for a couple of weeks now and from the report you gave at the meeting, it's already behind schedule. What's going wrong?"


How does that feel?

Let's change your boss's comment, just slightly. "You've been working on this project for a couple of weeks now and from the report you gave at the meeting, it's already behind schedule. What's missing?"

Now how do you feel?

Approaching a problem from the vantage point of what's missing instead of what's wrong can bring a very different energy to the conversation. Rather than feeling blame, additional negative pressure or fear, we can more easily identify a way ahead because we are focusing on what we need to find, build or create that could help us progress.

If you're the boss, consider swapping 'wrong' for 'missing' and see how it feels, both to you and to the person you lead.

What's The Difference?

Post by David Mead

What makes us amazing as human beings is our ability to form communities and groups. Our survival and our progress has depended on working together. And yet, as it turns out, most people seem to miss the connection between success and progress in a business environment and the way we naturally form groups and communities.

Think of it this way - we gladly sacrifice time, energy, money and other resources to join groups, clubs, political parties and associations outside of work. It's natural. We seek out others who share common values, beliefs and interests and we choose to spend our free time with them. We find fulfillment in it. We enjoy it. This is how humans biologically operate.

And then, most of us wake up and go to work at a place that pays us to be there and we can't wait to leave! Something is missing there. It's based on an assumption that we, as a society at large, have adopted over time; the assumption that we go to work to make money. Think about it. When most people look for a new job, what are they most concerned about? Pay and benefits. The criteria that apply to join any other social group don't seem to apply. At least they're not high up on the list.

I'm not suggesting that we don't need money or that making money (even a lot of it) is a bad thing - far from it. However, it's the way we perceive the paycheck. It's a result of the work we do, not a reason to do it.

A community, a club, a party and an association are simply groups of people who share common values and beliefs. Is there any good reason a company shouldn't follow the same pattern? After all, companies are just groups of people too.

Clones

Post by David Mead

Recently, I was challenged on the idea of only hiring those who believe what we believe. The argument came from a place of genuine concern. The person who raised the concern was part of an environment where most of those who were hired were friends of those doing the hiring. They had gone to school together, enjoyed the same sports, rooted for the same teams. It was a classic 'Good ol' boy' hiring system.

It's not about hiring people who are just like us or who share our same personal interests. The goal is to hire those who are driven by the same selfless cause or purpose that drives our organizations forward - the Why.

There's nothing wrong with sharing similarities. However surrounding ourselves with those who believe what we believe transcends personal interests. It's about the world we imagine and the contribution we make to that world that can't be realized unless we're all working toward it together.

Passion is Not Enough

Post by David Mead

When we interview someone for a new job, we often find ourselves on the lookout for passion. We want to hire someone who is passionate. And that's usually where we stop. Well, everyone is passionate about something. Hiring a team of passionate people is not a guarantee that you'll accomplish anything great.

The point is not to hire someone with passion. The point is to hire someone who shares the passion your organization is working to bring to life. In other words, are we hiring people who believe what we believe? Are we hiring people who get out of bed everyday to work toward something that supports our vision of the world?

If not, we may just end up with a group of passionate people who are pulling equally hard in different directions rather than a team of people inspired to pull in the same direction toward the destination they all believe in.