Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?
People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in common, but they all started with why. It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things.
In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way—and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements …
Why do you do what you do?
Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?
People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in common, but they all started with why. It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things.
In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way—and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be lead, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.
Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. WHY is not money or profit—those are always results. WHY does your organization exist? WHY does it do the things it does? WHY do customers really buy from one company or another? WHY are people loyal to some leaders, but not others?
Starting with WHY works in big business and small business, in the nonprofit world and in politics. Those who start with WHY never manipulate, they inspire. And the people who follow them don't do so because they have to; they follow because they want to.
Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories, Sinek weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire. This book is for anyone who wants to inspire others or who wants to find someone to inspire them.
A strong DNF, I would be kind and give it two stars since the idea of having an intrinsic motivation is a nice idea, but the examples he gives are so wildly selective and innaccurate I can't forgive it.
He also includes a concept that was so dumb it might have melted my brain. He claims people in the past believed the world was flat so they didn't explore because they were scared of falling off the edge.
That's why they didn't explore.
Not because of a lack of sufficient naval technology. Not because of societies needing to reach a certain size to have the ability to fund and man risky exploratory missions. No.
The reason sailors didn't explore was because they were scared of falling off the edge of the map.
It was a moderately inspiring book that had some really good parts about how remembering why you're doing a thing will come through to others in your life. Really focuses on entrepreneurs, but I think it'll help me focus at work too. Why am I here? Too help make the lives of the people around me better in some small way.
Starting with why is a hugely important ethic that too few people do today. Simon's book has inspired me to start every day considering WHY, HOW, and WHAT I am destined to do with my time remaining. Excellent book, poignant case studies, and great narration of these concepts!
Having read a summary of this book, it sounds that the book is a lot like the presentations that Simon gave on the same topic. The base concept is great nonetheless
