Simon Oliver Sinek is a successful American motivational speaker and author of five-plus books, including Start with Why: How we have to take action by looking at great leaders, a bestselling book written in 2009. Start with why is a book about movement, communication, and thinking patterns which enable leaders to inspire others around them. Why is it not just a question or word but a powerful concept? When adopted by an organization, more people will be satisfied and fulfilled by their jobs. In the book, Simon demonstrates that leaders and organizations guided by this concept are often more successful than those who do not. He gave examples of great leaders and how you can adopt their mindset to succeed and inspire others.
A world without why
When companies ask why customers would buy their company product, most of the time, the answer goes; because of the features, but companies have no idea about the why. The same goes for the employees in the job sector. Companies and organizations need to be more explicit about their motivation behind the work and often lack the crucial concept of why. Simon says that there are two ways to influence other behavior: manipulation or inspiration. Often time's businesses and other sales products are sold based on manipulation: prices, peer pressure, promotions, fear, etc., which do work; however, they are not sustainable. These techniques could not buy loyalty. Leaders could use the same methods to reach the top but must inspire people to follow. Simon demonstrates that leadership is about commitment, and the same goes with business. People will come back to your products even if you slip up, leaving better options for you when they are loyal. A world of manipulation has a cost that cannot buy loyalty and thus is not sustainable.
The Golden Circle
In this world, inspiring leaders, organizations, or people have the same thinking patterns, ways of communication, and action, which is the total opposite of the rest of the population. Simon calls this naturally occurring pattern the "Golden circle." The Golden Circle shows the way leaders inspire rather than manipulate. Of the three concentric circles of the golden circle, the innermost and core circle is what, followed by the middle ring of how and a broader process is what. For example, regular companies reach out to customers and explain their work and how they do it. On the other hand, inspiring companies and leaders start with why they do it and their motivation behind the cause. Simon beautifully says in the book that people do not buy what you do but why you do it.
For the golden circle to work much work is needed to win the loyalty of people which includes clarity of why (why you do it, how can this inspire others), the discipline of how (being disciplined and holding on to the values you define to bring why into life), and finally the consistency of the what (remaining true to what you say and what you do proof the authenticity). A balanced golden circle ensures sustainable success.
Building Trust
Trust in people or products is built when people see something beyond the self-gain of leaders or organizations. A Group of people driven by beyond self-gain value, a culture is generated. Sharing common values and beliefs gives space to trust. Caveman was not faster or more substantial than any other animal. Still, they were driven by shared values and thus trusted each other, leading to hunting together, protecting each other, and building a culture of trust. This led humanity to the modern day. Creating a trust culture in organizations requires hiring people with the same values and beliefs rather than the same skill set. People with the same values will resonate with the golden circle ensuring sustainable success.
Business depends on sales; however, a company can sell its product to others. Instead, choose the right people who believe in your Why. Then, selling the consequences to this specific group of customers would create the tipping point attracting other customers to buy the product and creating mass acceptance.
Why needs How
The three conical circles of the golden circle are known: Why at the core, How in the middle, and what the broader outer circle is. It represents an organization with the CEO at the tip believing in the way with clarity. The senior management with the How, most of the employees doing the What, and the outer broader circle. How is the connector of the circle top (CEO) with the layer (employees)? Thus, the CEO needs to ensure that the senior management (the How layer ) believes in the why. The How team will bring together the system and people who get the Why to life. Walt Disney scaled into a massive organization, with Walt Disney being the why guy and his brother Roy the how guy. Roy did all the necessary work and turned Walt's why into a sustained success. It is always the Why guys who need the how guys to have sustained success, whereas How guys only sometimes need why guys to be successive. In business and career, one needs to pursue why (we do), becoming better at how and measure it to be successful. When the connection between our how and what losses with the why we feel unsatisfied with what we do. For a passion for growth we need structure and vice versa.
Conclusion
Start your business, career, or leadership role with the clarity of why in your head. The motive behind the function, action, and passion is what people buy rather than what you sell. People are more interested in the why than the what.