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

by Dan Sullivan

It can be easy to focus on How, especially for high achievers who want to control what they can control, which is themselves. It takes vulnerability and trust to expand your efforts and build a winning team. It takes wisdom to recognize that 1) other people are more than capable enough to handle much of the Hows, and 2) that your efforts and contribution (your “Hows”) should be focused exclusively where your greatest passion and impact are. Your attention and energy should not be spread thin, but purposefully directed where you can experience extreme flow and creativity.

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.

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

The bigger your goals become, the better the Whos you’ll need.

In psychology, the term “selective attention” describes the idea that as humans, we have an incomprehensible amount of data coming into our brain through our senses. However, our conscious mind filters the information and pays attention to the things that seem relevant or important.

What is the project? Purpose: What do you want to accomplish? Importance: What’s the biggest difference this will make? Ideal Outcome: What does the completed project look like? Best Result: If you do take action? Worst Result: If you don’t take action? Success Criteria: What has to be true when this project is finished?

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?”

Transformational Leadership Theory is the number one leadership theory in the world as of the writing of this book. Transformational leaders embody four characteristics:

Transformational leaders invest in their Whos, challenge them, help them clearly see the vision, and ultimately, get their Whos just as committed and invested as they are.

Although having a great work ethic is something to strive for, you’ve got to be careful. You’re either in the “Time and Effort Economy” or the “Results Economy.” Far too often, people wear their hard work as a badge of honor. But in reality, they are engaging in Hows that could easily be handled by a Who to more effectively produce the desired result.

You’ve got to really learn the opportunity cost of How. By doing everything yourself, you miss out on unfathomable growth that comes by investing in Whos and utilizing your time and efforts on higher impact activities.

Your ability to succeed is based on the quality of the people in your life.