start with who – Life is Beautiful

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
– VIKTOR E. FRANKL

In “Start With Why,” the author, Simon Sinek presents that purpose-driven individuals and organisations succeed because they start with the “why” instead of the “what” or the “how.”

His submission is that when individuals, leaders, institutions, companies and organisations communicate their purpose and beliefs, they can create a following of people, partners, team members and employees who share those values, and as result are sure to succeed. “Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.”

The Book, ‘Start with Why’ can be summarised in the following 4 statements –

1. WHY is the purpose, cause, or belief.
2. Every inspiring leader starts with WHY
3. People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
4. Knowing your WHY is the key to lasting success.

The 4 Key Insights from the book :

Key Insights: 1. The Importance of Purpose

Sinek emphasizes that purpose is what sets successful companies apart from their competition. Purpose-driven companies attract and retain loyal customers and employees who share their values.

Key Insights: 2. The Power of Beliefs

Sinek highlights that companies with strong beliefs can create a culture that attracts like-minded individuals. Belief can help improve self motivation, inspire innovation, increase productivity, and result in employee satisfaction. “

Key Insights: 3. The Role of Authenticity

Sinek stresses upon the importance of authenticity in communicating the “Why.” No one can manipulate employees or customers for long. Being authentic is essential to building trust and creating lasting relationships.

Key Insights: 4. Finding Your “Why”

Sinek provides a framework for finding your “Why” and communicating it to your team and customers. It is by putting into practice your personal values and beliefs, and using them as the foundation for your business strategy.

To support his theory, Sinek provides real-world examples of companies that have successfully communicated their purpose to create a loyal following.

The Golden Circle

Sinek introduces and narrates a novel concept. He calls it, “The Golden Circle”.

The Golden Circle is formed of three parts: ‘Why,’ ‘How’ and ‘What.’

What ?

The What of a company relates to the product or service that a company provides. The What is the outer layer of the circle.

How ?

The How of a company is the approach adopted by a company. The How is the differentiating value proposition or a unique selling point of the company.

Why ?

The Why is at the core of the golden circle. Why does the company exist?

The Biological Basis of Golden Circle

Sinek explains that the ‘What ?’ is directly related to our neocortex in the brain. The neocortex is a an area in the human brain specialized for rational and analytical thoughts and language. The neocortex does not drive behavior. Instead, it only allows us to consider vast amounts of data.

The ‘How ?’ and ‘Why ?’ of The Golden Circle are both associated with the limbic brain, which is specialized for feelings like trust and loyalty. This area of the brain is responsible for all human behavior and decision-making.

Thus if you start with ‘Why ?’ you will be directly connecting with the limbic brain and this will facilitate better decision making.

Leadership is about Starting With ‘Why ?’ But Knowing ‘How ?’

Any individual can possess the ability to motivate people. But, the most important thing to becoming a great leader is to be charismatic. Charisma is a skill that inspires people around you. This charisma is tied to a leader’s ‘Why ?’. Leaders in all walks of life have a belief in a greater purpose than themselves.

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”

“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.”

Video

Watch Simon Sinek, explaining ‘Start with Why’

https://youtu.be/u4ZoJKF_VuA?si=d4lLi2zw-vOOkcel