My colleagues in the Kaizen Team have been banging on about this talk from Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action – for ages now. James has shown it in some of his leadership workshops and many of his participants have cited it as the most useful part of the programme.
I must admit that until recently I didn’t get it. I watched it and thought it was OK but it didn’t grab me in the way other TED talks have done. Then, last week, I decided to take another look, and it has set me on the road to a whole new way of thinking …
I would wager that the average employee doesn’t spend a huge amount of time reflecting on why they do what they do. I meet lots of people who would like to do something else instead, but that’s not quite the same as identifying the rationale for why they’re in this job right now. For every person who has set their sights on their ‘ideal’ role, then put in place careful and well executed steps to make it happen, there are dozens who have drifted from one thing to another, taking opportunities as they arose and climbing the ladder that way. It’s often only when we come to compile our CV that we are challenged to consider the common threads that gently stitch together the patchwork of our ‘career’.
And yet, most key decisions we make in our lives are guided by our core principles and values. We’re not always aware of the part they play – and sometimes ‘gut feel’ forms the strongest driver for our actions – but they are ever present in the background.
The Apple Story
If you work in a large company and you can fully articulate the ways in which your role (or that of your team) contributes to the success of the business, congratulations – you’re in the minority. If you can tell me how your contribution at work extends beyond meeting the bottom line … and how that contribution fits with what’s important to you and your own values, you are indeed a rare individual.
Simon Sinek has developed a simple model, the Golden Circle, for inspiring action in others. He suggests that companies often express what they do by explaining the ‘What’ and the ‘How’, but they miss out the purpose, cause or belief behind these things – the ‘Why’. He shares the following example about Apple.
Apple is a computer company and might express itself through marketing messages in this way:
We make great computers (WHAT)
They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly (HOW)
Both are true, but not hugely inspiring.
Contrast this with:
In everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently (WHY)
Our products are beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly (HOW)
We also happen to make great computers (WHAT).
Notice the power of leading with the WHY. It explains why some people were prepared to queue for hours when the iphone first came out. To quote Sinek, ‘People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.’
What’s your ‘why’?
This has applications for us as individuals as well as for businesses. The next time you want to hire somebody, gain buy-in to your ideas or create loyalty amongst team members: the next time you’re buffing up your CV for the next job interview or putting together a proposal to win the next piece of business, consider expressing why you do what you do. If nothing else, it makes for a better quality conversation!
Extra stuff
If you would like to know how this has made such a difference to me in my work, leave a comment or drop me a line and I’ll tell you.
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A fabulous reminder Helen – thanks! There are several leadership clients I will be forwarding this to…
Thanks Kim, the real eye-opener for me has been how much more motivating and inspiring it is to consider the ‘why’ (from both a personal and a business perspective), rather than simply trot out the ‘what’ and ‘how’.
I’ve just written a piece for a client that comes from the ‘why’. I have been struggling with it for too long (entrenched in ‘what’ and ‘how’) because it sounded so dry – and now it sings to me!
Helen x
Inspiration doesn’t come from instruction (what/how), yet provides the foundation for true greatness.
Thanks for the article. A great reminder to connect (reconnect?) with the “why”
Thanks Bernard, I like your emphasis on connecting with the ‘why’ and the pre-supposition that it’s always there (rather than perhaps us having to scrabble around to find it!). Helen
Hi Kim,
Thanks for sharing this article. I found the Simon Sinek talk on Ted last December when i was applying for a new role and it really helped. I based some of my presentation on the why and linked it to emotionally engaging our employees. Would love to hear how you’re using it.
Thanks
Carolyne
Hi Carolyne, thanks for your comment. Two things come to mind in terms of using Sinek’s ideas:
The video itself is a wonderful intervention to show on leadership programmes, and team events, for example as a precursor for teams who want to consider their purpose. We observe that the discussions which emerge afterwards are rich and valuable.
I am personally finding that it’s a useful place to start when I meet potential clients for the first time. I almost always open with my philosophy for why I do what I do, and I ask for theirs (they’ve not always thought about it, but it makes for a good conversation!).
I like your link to employee engagement – our ability to engage with others at an emotional level is, after all, what sets us apart as human beings.
Very best wishes, Helen
Helen. Today has been a day of discovery for me. I found you! My business plan requires recruiting new people, and leading with the “why” (mine and especially theirs) is invaluable. Everyone needs that feeling of acceptance. Everyone needs to keep their “why” in front of them to press on and succeed. Thank you Helen!
Lovely to hear from you Joe, and I’m so glad you found the blog helpful.
Very best, Helen