“Start With Why” (2011) by Simon Sinek explores the power of starting with why in business, leadership and personal growth. According to this book’s thesis statement, many successful companies and leaders achieve success not due to just what they do, but why.
To anyone interested in the areas of organisational development or self-development, Simon Sinek literally needs no introduction. His TED talk based on this book has racked up over 50 million views and is one the most-watched ever. Having started his career in advertising and marketing, Sinek is now best known as a motivational speaker and organisational consultant.
What is the book about?
Sinek uses the idea of the Golden Circle to illustrate his main point. This diagram depicts three concentric circles containing “why”, “how”, and “what”. According to Sinek’s observation, most companies and leaders start out from “what”, before expanding outward to “why” before moving back towards what. However, successful businesses begin by starting from within: their why lies at its centre then moving outward from there.
This book uses several real-world examples – including Apple (a company SInek seems to especially love) and Martin Luther King Jr. – to demonstrate the power of starting with “why”. Apple’s success can be traced back to their commitment to challenging traditional thinking while remaining innovative; similarly Martin Luther King Jr. achieved the civil rights revolution due to his unyielding belief in equality for all humans.
Sinek suggests that starting with “why” should not simply be seen as a marketing tactic but also as part of living life with purpose and success. He encourages readers to discover their personal “why”, using it as a guiding principle in all aspects of their lives.
Sinek’s book also explores the science of starting with “why”, including concepts such as the limbic brain’s emotional and decision-making functions vs the rational thought processes in the neocortex. Sinek contends that asking “why” appeals more directly to limbic brain activity by creating a sense of purpose and belonging than simply appealing to rational thought through appealing directly to rationality in our neocortex.
What are the key takeaways from the book?
My main takeaway from “Start With Why” is how easy it is to read, and how Sinek weaves his arguments into a compelling narrative that I literally did not want to put down. Apart from that, I think the key points from the book are:
Start With Why: (An obvious takeaway, of course) To achieve lasting success, individuals and organisations must understand and articulate their purpose or “why,” the foundation upon which all other strategies and tactics will rest. Starting from here allows companies and individuals to inspire followership while building long-term success and building loyal customer bases.
Emotional over Rational: Sinek asserts that decisions are first driven by emotions before being rationalised by the neocortex; accordingly, companies and individuals should emphasise emotional values over rational considerations in communicating products/ideas to audiences rather than listing features/benefits; to do this successfully they must demonstrate how their solutions address deeper needs/values of people they target through deep connections that build strong emotional ties between themselves and audiences they meet.
Consistency and Alignment: The book emphasises the significance of consistency and alignment across all facets of an individual or organisation’s actions, from strategic to administrative tasks. Leaders should ensure everything they do aligns with their purpose, reinforcing that message with both words and deeds. With consistent actions coming from leaders that stay aligned to why, loyal following can form which can build trust for any tough times that may lie ahead.
Who should read this book?
“Start With Why” can benefit anyone interested in personal growth, leadership development and building successful organisations.
I also think that HR professionals can use the insights from “Start with Why” to create more engaged and motivated employees by emphasising the organisation’s purpose and values. One of the main ways this could be done is by establishing an engaging employee value proposition (EVP) that resonates with employees and potential recruits by understanding and conveying the organisation’s “why,” along with the culture, values and purpose of the organisation.
