The Book “Start with why” by Simon Sinek, is about learning to inspire others. Some have the ability from birth while some learn it over the course of years. Anyone can achieve this ability without any restriction. Instead of fixing the things, a different approach has been used in which things which do work are amplified. Right questions need to be asked.
Examples of creating inspiration:
On December 17, 1903, a man took flight for the first time in history. Wilbur and Orville Wright did not have much resources and renowned degrees like Samuel Pierpont Langley and his team, but they succeeded in their passion because they knew how to inspire others around them. Because of that motivated group effort they were able to make their dream come true.
When Steve Wozniak built Apple I, he wanted to give an individual who bought it, the ability to avail all those functions that are performed by a better resourced company. His vision was to provide a whole corporation to an individual through his personal computer. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were able to revolutionize the computer industry because they were able to repeat this pattern and use this vision to create inspiration. They had nothing that made them stand out from the rest, but Apple was able to challenge conventional thinking by targeting many different industries. Apple was able to ask the right question.
There were many civil rights activists, but to be a true leader you need to ask the right questions. Martin Luther King inspired and attracted so many people to join his cause, and they came on just his calling without any invitation. He was able to start a change not just for the minorities but for everyone, he raised his voice and made other people believe his vison.
People can be swayed by tempting incentives or threats, but such external factors don’t guarantee everlasting behaviors. Those who are able to make people elicit the desired behaviors or actions may be considered leaders, but they don’t know how to lead. Great leaders however don’t sway people but inspire them to believe. They rarely offer any external incentive or benefit. They create a sense of belonging in the individual which changes the person’s perception from within. Loyalty follows them and most importantly, they are able to sustain this performance from their followers. People act not just because they have to but because they want to. No matter from where they have hailed, all great and inspiring leaders and companies have one thing in common, it’s that they behave, act and communicate exactly alike.
People who believe in their work are happier and creative. Their work result in better companies and better economics. This book provides a cause of actions rather than the course of actions.
Manipulation and inspiration:
Human behavior can be influenced either by manipulation or by inspiration. Reduction in prices, promise of innovation, promotion, peer pressure, fear, aspirational messages etc. are typical types of manipulations. Companies and organizations that have no idea that why their customers buy from them and why their employees work for them, they start relying on manipulations to get what they need. But every manipulation has its negative aspects which eventually cause a considerable loss of the company’s reputation, resources and assets. They do not encourage loyalty and becomes the cause of stress both for the seller and buyer over the course of time. They guarantee only short-term gains and are very expensive. There are people who are leaders and then there are those who lead. It is not necessary for the leaders to know how to lead people, so they use manipulation to influence the human behavior. On the contrary, those who lead keep the end result in mind and everything just falls into place naturally.
The golden circle:
The concept of the golden circle was inspired by the golden ratio; it signifies how leaders inspire people rather than manipulating them. It suggests how to turn an idea into a social movement. It basically starts from the inside out. It focuses on asking the right questions which starts with the WHY, like why should people care, why does this idea, company or belief exist? Next is HOW, how do they do what they do? It usually explains how something is better or how does it stand out from the rest. And the last is easiest to asses that is the WHAT, what is the purpose, what are they offering or what is it that they do. Most people or organizations follow the pattern from the outside to inside. They initially focus on the easiest part and then maybe gradually move to the complicated one. But the individuals who lead to inspire, they move from the inside to the outside. All of them follow the same pattern. Apple is a big example of that. WHAT represents the external factors, however, WHY relates to something more meaningful. Apple’s WHY was to give an individual the access to all resources that a company might have. It was to empower an individual sitting at home. That differentiates it from its competitors who have lost their WHY and are solely focused on their WHAT. WHY does not relate with the company but creates a sense of belonging in the individual and therefore earns their loyalty.
Levels of human brain:
The levels of the golden circle also relate with the levels of a human brain. The newest area of the human brain is the neocortex which associates with the WHAT. Its responsible for rational and analytical thoughts. The middle section comprises of limbic section which associates with emotions, feelings and is also responsible for all the decision-making processes. Gut decisions are also associated with the limbic portion of the brain. They come from feelings rather than analytical facts and figures. Great leaders understand that and see what we are not able to and give us what we did not know we needed. They win hearts before brains and give us WHY before WHAT. When organizations start with WHY, they tap into the innate drive to include those products as the symbols of our core values and beliefs. We get a sense of belonging to something bigger, and hence feel a sense of tribe affiliation with all the others buying the same products. Most companies generally start with WHAT and HOW because that’s what they think their customer asked for which a different approach which ensures short term gain.
Importance:
All three stages of the golden circle are important. WHY creates a belief of trust and loyalty. HOW are the actions taken to realize that belief? WHAT are the results of those actions and when all three are in balance, trust and loyalty are built? The employees respect the decisions that are made at the top and commit themselves to the cause. All great leaders have clarity of WHY, discipline of HOW and consistency of WHAT. Locating the WHY is a process of discovery, not invention. According to Sinek, The WHY is within us. And once you find and know your WHY, the hardest part is to remain true to it.
The role of great leaders is to create an atmosphere where great ideas can materialize. Such is an example of General Lori Robinson. She earned the trust of the organization not by impressing but by serving those who served her.
Bill Gates has an optimism about him which inspires and draws us toward him. His ability to see a better future in which we strive to reach up to our full potential motivates us and pushes us to do better regardless of any field. Charisma comes from the clarity of WHY and it’s what inspires us. Similarly, the HOWs are equally important. They are people who work behind the scenes and their efforts combined with the visions of the charisma of the WHYs, change the future. There are many examples of such unions in history which became successful due to their mutual efforts. When an idea is small it revolves around the personality of its founder but as it grows, it personifies the WHY. It morphs itself into the voice, the belief from which it was originated. A great leader embodies what he believes in and resonates his message through a megaphone. The belief becomes his identity and he preach it to the crowd. They carry forth this identity fully trusting and believing in it.
An example of Walmart has been discussed by Simon when the WHY is forgotten. Walmart was started by Sam Walton. His idea was of helping people and communities by providing products at low prices. However, after the death of its founders, the company shifted its focus to only on low prices, and completely forgot about helping people and the communities they entered. They let go of their core belief. It eventually ended up becoming a cutthroat business towards its suppliers, employees and the communities it was a part of. Walmart got into serious trouble when it lost its initial WHY.
Achievement and success:
Achievement comes in pursuit of WHAT we want, and success comes in pursuit of WHY we do what we do. The WHAT is affected by tangible external factors whereas the WHY is more meaningful and deeper.
A WHY without the HOW and passion without the structure has a high prospect of failure. passion needs structure to flourish and structure needs passion to grow. Organizations which follow this pattern and start from asking the right questions and then work their way to find their answers can inspire their work force. More ideas and innovations will flourish. People would be more committed to their assigned jobs. A sense of loyalty will thrive. Their common passion will lead to structure and a successful organization will start to emerge.
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