Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

by Dan Sullivan

A much better question is: “Who can help me achieve this?”

“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” —Ronald Reagan

Not only must the Who fully own the How, but they must have complete permission to do so.

If you’re going to apply higher levels of teamwork in your life, you’ll need to relinquish control over how things get done.

A core aspect of leadership is being explicit about the vision. The more explicit you are in what you want, the faster you’ll attract the right Whos to help you achieve that vision. The leader explains the “What” and “Why” and then allows the “Who” to execute the “How.”

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

“Our eyes only see and our ears only hear what our brain is looking for.”

“How” limits you to your own knowledge and capabilities. “How” requires that you be the one to engage your time and attention into the particular task. “How” decreases your Freedom of Time. “Who” immediately connects you with different knowledge, insights, and capability. “Who” is about getting the desired result as effectively as possible. “Who” can immediately free up hundreds of hours, which you can spend in better and more meaningful ways. “Who” expands your vision for what is possible, because you no longer see yourself as the sole means of achieving the result. Self-expansion is a core human motivation, and it occurs through Whos.

“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.” —Meredith Willson

procrastination is actually a form of wisdom. Procrastination is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when you really want something more for yourself, but you lack the knowledge and capability to do it.

“Your eyes only see and your ears only hear what your brain is looking for.”

You can access and download the Impact Filter at Strategiccoach.com/whonothow.

People waste a large portion of their lives procrastinating. Procrastination is the by-product of having a goal and asking “How?” instead of “Who?” Procrastination has many negative effects, such as decreased well-being, frustration, and ultimately, a loss of ambition. Paradoxically, though, procrastination is actually wisdom. It is your inner genius saying, “This goal is amazing! But you’re not the one to do everything involved!” Leadership involves being clear and explicit about the vision. The Impact Filter is a one-page tool for defining the vision or goal and why it is so important for all Whos involved. Asking “Who can help me achieve this?” may be a stretch if you’ve never truly committed to huge goals. There are countless brilliant and capable Whos out there waiting and wanting to help you. They need only to hear and understand your vision.

Here are the questions on the one-page Moving Future process, which will help you improve your time every 90 days:

Looking back over the past quarter, what are the things you have achieved that make you the proudest? What are the current areas of focus and progress that make you the most confident? Looking ahead at the next quarter, what new developments, projects, or goals are giving you the greatest sense of excitement? What are the five new “jumps” (progress) you can now achieve that will make your next 90 days a great quarter regardless of what else happens?

Your potential is virtually limitless when you stop asking “How?” and start asking “Who?” When you ask “Who?” you can create results 10X or even 100X faster than if you ask “How?” You can apply Who Not How both personally and professionally. You can free up thousands of future hours by finding Whos. By freeing yourself up from Hows, you’ll have a reborn sense of purpose and clarity. You’ll feel like you’ve been given another life to live. Every 90 days, you can free up your time, energy, and focus by getting Whos to support your ambitions in all aspects of your life.

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” —Peter Drucker

“Time is money.” —Benjamin Franklin The quote above is probably the most famous quote about time by Benjamin Franklin, a man known for his productivity and amazing talents.

Pygmalion Effect, and what it means is that as people, we are either rising or falling to the expectations of those around us. When the demands are high, we show up. When they are low, we settle.

every human being has three basic psychological needs related to their work: A sense of competence Autonomy in how they do their work Positive and meaningful relationships

“Always reward creators. Never reward complainers.”

“Treat your employees as an investment, not a cost.”

Never enter a relationship without having first created value in that relationship. Never stop creating value and nurturing your relationships. Always ask “What’s in it for them?” rather than “What’s in it for me?” Know what the other person cares about.

Be a generous giver who is truly committed to service and growth, not status. Be nice to the people you meet on the way up because they are the same people you meet on the way down. Be grateful in large and small ways to the people in your life and you’ll attract incredible abundance.

You don’t have all the answers. It’s wise to consider yourself ignorant on most things, and to seek other people’s perspectives and solutions.

Be radically open and honest in your communication. Ask for help when you need

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” —Ayn Rand