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

by Dan Sullivan

Results, not effort, is the name of the game. You are rewarded in life by the results you produce, not the effort and time you put in. All too often, there is a lack of commitment to results and an over-infatuation with “process” or “hard work.”

This book argues that with each ascending level of success, your ability to produce results will be more and more contingent on Whos, not Hows. By focusing on Who you work with and not How you achieve your goals, your level of accomplishment, and thus freedom, will dramatically increase in all key areas—time, money, relationships, and purpose.

That’s what real leadership is: Creating and clarifying the vision (the “what”), and giving that vision greater context and importance (the “why”) for all Whos involved. Once the “what” and “why” have clearly been established, the specified “Who” or “Whos” have all they need to go about executing the “How.” All the leader needs to do at that point is support and encourage the Who(s) through the process.

The bigger the challenge, the more essential the Who. And if you are the Who, as I was in this case, you’ll eventually discover that as the Who, you’ll also need a Who.

If you’re going to apply higher levels of teamwork in your life, you’ll need to relinquish control over how things get done. Instead, you’ll need to put your trust in capable Whos, giving them full permission to own their Hows.

In order to create the right types of relationships, you need to be very clear about what you want. Not only do you have to know what you want, but you must clearly communicate your desires to others.

“How” requires your time and attention. “Who” requires someone else’s.

“If you have enough money to solve a problem, then you don’t have a problem.”

Rather than asking, “What’s in it for me?” which is the common question, Joe asks, “What’s in it for them?” Asking, “What’s in it for me?” is a terrible way to get access to people. It is impossible to create transformational relationships with this selfish “taker” mind-set.

When you begin saying “no” to people, obligations, and situations you don’t feel fully aligned with in your gut, then and only then will you be able to expand your confidence and purpose.