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

by Dan Sullivan

You are only one person. As brilliant as you are, your current views are very limited at best. By combining your perspectives and skills with those of others, your thinking and results can improve dramatically.

The faster you get at throwing out incomplete work, the faster it will transform into something great. Dan calls this the 80 percent rule. You can get to 80 percent of a project very quickly, such as writing a rough draft. However, going from 80 percent to 90 percent is exponentially more work than going from 0 to 80 percent. Going from 90 to 100 percent is a mountain. You just need to do what you can do as the Who, and then quickly pass it off to the next Who. The longer you try to perfect your idea before feedback, the slower the transformation process. Get your Whos involved. Stop trying to do it all yourself. The sooner you get teamwork involved, the faster and better your work will be. Also, with encouragement, you’ll work through challenges instead of procrastinating as you would naturally. Finally, get used to “publishing” or sending out imperfect work. Nothing is ever truly “finished,” only “done.” Done is better than perfect.

If you genuinely want to be a hero to your collaborators, you’ll show up for them. You’ll do your best work. You’ll produce the needed results.

Everyone on your team should want to be a hero to you, and to one another. Likewise, as a leader, you should want nothing more than to be a hero for your team. That can and should become your purpose, to be a hero. You will do your best work and ensure you produce results because you genuinely care about the vision and genuinely want to be a hero to your Whos.

CHAPTER TAKEAWAYS Wherever you see brilliant work happening, collaboration is happening. 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. Apply the 80 percent rule to move projects forward by not over-obsessing about your part of the project. Get feedback fast! Be radically open and honest in your communication. Ask for help when you need it. Seek to be a hero to those you work with, and you’ll do your best work for them.

Freedom of Purpose is the sense of vision and purpose you have for your life. Your sense of purpose expands as you see deep meaning and value in what you’re doing. Said Viktor Frankl, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” The more deep and powerful your sense of purpose, the more meaningful your life will be. But also, the more committed you’ll be to do whatever is required to live that purpose.

CHAPTER TAKEAWAYS Focusing on “How” makes you rigid and non-collaborative in your thinking. Focusing on “How” stresses you out, because you’re already busy and can’t juggle it all. Focusing on “How” leads you to being isolated in your goals, and ultimately slows your progress. Being isolated in your goals diminishes your dreams. Competition stunts creative innovation and limits your future. Collaboration immediately expands your Freedom of Purpose and vision, because what you can do with others is exponentially more than what you can do by yourself. Collaboration allows you to focus on what you want to focus on and not feel guilty about getting help. Collaboration transforms the initial intent of the project into something surprisingly better and more impactful than you would have planned on your own. By expanding your vision, your Freedom of Purpose also expands.

The same is true for you. Your identity is not fixed, but rather based upon your current experiences. Your identity and purpose will expand as you have experiences of encouragement and support through the right Whos.

The first moonshot was announced to the US Congress in May 1961 when President John F. Kennedy declared his intention to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. By 1969, that goal was achieved when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Inspired by that monumental achievement, Google has repurposed the term “moonshot” to refer to its pursuit of lofty goals that, if successful, would change the world, just as Neil Armstrong did more than 50 years ago.

Freedom of Purpose, which transformed everything he did.

CHAPTER TAKEAWAYS Only through Whos can the most important miracles and blessings happen in your life. Only through Whos can your purpose and life be transformed and expanded. Whos help you see potential in your future, and in your work, that you can’t presently see for yourself. Whos expand your vision, giving you the confidence to pursue big goals. Your Whos become your purpose.

He began a “What I Want” journal, and for the next 25 years had a daily practice of writing down everything he wanted in his life.

Whos are attracted to vision. As you tap into your passion and purpose, and your unique gifts and strengths, you’ll have an endless supply of capable people who will happily join you on your mission. In order to do so, you’ll need to have the courage to bet on yourself. You’ll need to believe you can be more and do more than you have in the past.