2020 has been difficult for all of us, but sooner or later, we’re all getting back on track. What then seemed like weekdays now feels like going straight from Monday to Friday in a blink of an eye. With all the workload and daily chores done the whole week, let this weekend be a relaxed one.
We as humans are indulged in so many activities each day, and our minds are constantly at work, trying to figure out things happening in our personal as well as professional lives. We plan for things in a particular order and fail to maintain that order due to some of the other reasons, which sometimes lead to a change of plans or the creation of what we call “sudden plans.” This somewhere states a lack of clarity in our plan, small or big.
Start with Why – a book by Simon Sinek has it all explained. In this book, he talks about the “What, How, and Why” of doing things.
He argues that we often spend time thinking and talking about what and how and miss out on the most crucial part, “why,” why we do what we do?
Sinek says that if we start with why we would most likely get a bigger and better picture of how and what with positive results.
Here’s how the author, in various parts, covers the ‘what, how and why
1. A World That Doesn’t Start With Why
2. An Alternative Perspective
3. Leaders Need A Following
4. How To Rally Those Who Believe
5. The Biggest Challenge Is Success
6. Discover Why
Before we dive into these parts, let’s know the author.
Who Is Simon Sinek
Simon is an optimist who believes in the ability to build a bright future for the world.
He is a motivational speaker and has been seen many times on platforms like TED Talks giving inspiring life lessons to those who seek it. He came up with a term – The Golden Circle (which he also has stated in his book), which provides a framework and clarity which helps people stay motivated and focused at work as well as in their personal lives.
According to Simon, ‘Start with Why is a detailed version of his infamous TED Talk titled: ‘How great leaders inspire actions.’
Quick Summary Of Start With Why
Start with Why is a book in which the author collated the extremely successful organizations and individuals with the organizations that could be more successful if they rightly understood and communicated why they were doing what they are doing. He stated with examples some famous companies like Apple, Southwest, and people like the Wright brothers, Martin Luther King.
So, What Is Why, And Why Start With It?
To put it simply, Why is what motivates you to wake up every morning and start your routine. It is your primary belief that drives you forward. Most of the leaders we admire began their journey with a very strong why. Once inspired, they mobilized other people by giving them a sense of purpose and belonging to a community.
All business needs to motivate customers and employees to do something, whether it is buying a product which is performing a job or just performing a job. And there are generally two ways to achieve it. One is called manipulation, and the other is inspiration. Both these ways act on the same part of our brains but work differently.
Manipulation is driven by fear, whereas inspiration is driven by hope. Manipulation can also be called outside influences, for example, promotion, fear, aspiration, prize, peer pressure, etc. These might produce short-term gains, but they fail to create long-term loyalty.
On the other hand, inspiration makes a person act from within and not from external influences. People inspired by someone will have a will to do more. For example, in the book, the author stated, people inspired by the company’s why will buy more, recommend more, and won’t get bothered by small mistakes in service provided by the company.
How Do You Start With Why?
Here’s how Simon explains his Golden Circle.
Imagine a bull’s eye target with three rings, the why, the how and the what.
The main idea behind it is, you start with the center, that is, the why. Then you move on to the how and then the outer circle, the what.
Let’s take Apple, for example. As explained by Simon, Apple’s why is ‘we think differently’; how – ‘by making products user friendly, elegant and attractive’ and the what is ‘we just happen to make phones and computers as our products.’ All these things represent the core belief of the company, and if one is connected to the core belief, one is likely to buy more, and this is how the company creates profit. Some might think that they prefer an android phone over an iPhone, it is absolutely fine, the thing is, one should stick to the core, i.e., the why.
The golden circle works because it creates a sense of belonging. It brings out clarity through the why, discipline in how, and consistency in the what. If ‘why’ is the belief, ‘how’ is the action, then ‘what is the product. ‘Why’ lives in the future, whereas ‘how’ lives in the present. It makes decision-making easy. Together they can help achieve a world-changing moment.
Conclusion
Start with Why is a phenomenal book that gives excellent life lessons and advice. But the companies and people described by the author may seem a little bit. So, how to implement the principles in your day-to-day life? Right from organizing your closet to starting with a new project, you need to make a list—a list of things that can help you with the why.
For instance, you want to re-décor your room, the list of why’s will be I need bigger space, I want to eliminate a few things from my room, I want to add new items, etc., then come to a conclusion.
There is no good or bad Why to do anything. It is the decisions we make in our life to bring out that change, to do something that brings us closer to our goals. You simply need to figure out your why.
So, start with why!
There are leaders and there are those who lead – Simon Sinek.
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