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Business. Finance. Nonfiction. HTML: 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 successes over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in com- mon, but they all started with why. Their natural ability to start with why 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 led, 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 people follow them not 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… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
There are no genuine new ideas in this managerial self-help screed. Rigorous adherence to advertising principles of repetition makes the book a chore to read, no matter how engaging some of the individual anecdotes might be. The main theses are more concisely expressed in the TED Talk version,
While Thelemic doctrine uses "Why" to indicate rationalization, Sinek wants to use it to mean purpose, aim, or will. Alas, often enough in his various case studies of corporate business CEO heroism, he accepts the self-serving rationalizations of such figures as their genuine aims. For example, he praises Bill Gates as embracing "a higher cause" summarized as "A PC in every home and on every desk" (194)--as if Gates were interested in empowering people with personal computers, as opposed to seeking 100% market share for MS-DOS and Windows by means of notorious anti-competitive strategies that distinguished Microsoft among its rivals. He also adulates Sam Walton as a salt-of-the-earth type who "talked about building stores in rural communities so that the backbone of America's workforce didn't have to travel to the urban centers," which is rich. Walmart's willingness to set up shop in small towns, drain off the local economies, pull up stakes and move on is cast as a virtuous service to consumers.
Sinek's "Golden Circle" is a model that he asserts is bolstered by neurobiological findings, but there's little consequence to that justification, which is largely rhetorical. It does helpfully integrate the fact that effective decision-making is pre-verbal and non-rational. In light of models and nomenclature I prefer, I found his WHY-HOW-WHAT anatomy opaque and muddled. But I did think that the corresponding sequence of clarity-discipline-consistency was well formulated.
Near the end of the book, Sinek supplies a conversion account, in which he was saved by the power of "WHY," brought through an entrepreneurial dark night of the soul to behold the power of the Golden Circle. This evangelical narrative helps to demonstrate his motive for identifying "WHY" with "belief," which is again at odds with the ways in which I constellate these symbols or the ways in which I would seek to help others use them.
"If Will stops and cries Why, invoking Because, then Will stops & does nought. If Power asks why, then is Power weakness." (CCXX II:30-31)
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where author Simon Sinek nevertheless comes off almost as a parody of a motivational speaker. While Thelemic doctrine uses "Why" to indicate rationalization, Sinek wants to use it to mean purpose, aim, or will. Alas, often enough in his various case studies of corporate business CEO heroism, he accepts the self-serving rationalizations of such figures as their genuine aims. For example, he praises Bill Gates as embracing "a higher cause" summarized as "A PC in every home and on every desk" (194)--as if Gates were interested in empowering people with personal computers, as opposed to seeking 100% market share for MS-DOS and Windows by means of notorious anti-competitive strategies that distinguished Microsoft among its rivals. He also adulates Sam Walton as a salt-of-the-earth type who "talked about building stores in rural communities so that the backbone of America's workforce didn't have to travel to the urban centers," which is rich. Walmart's willingness to set up shop in small towns, drain off the local economies, pull up stakes and move on is cast as a virtuous service to consumers.
Sinek's "Golden Circle" is a model that he asserts is bolstered by neurobiological findings, but there's little consequence to that justification, which is largely rhetorical. It does helpfully integrate the fact that effective decision-making is pre-verbal and non-rational. In light of models and nomenclature I prefer, I found his WHY-HOW-WHAT anatomy opaque and muddled. But I did think that the corresponding sequence of clarity-discipline-consistency was well formulated.
Near the end of the book, Sinek supplies a conversion account, in which he was saved by the power of "WHY," brought through an entrepreneurial dark night of the soul to behold the power of the Golden Circle. This evangelical narrative helps to demonstrate his motive for identifying "WHY" with "belief," which is again at odds with the ways in which I constellate these symbols or the ways in which I would seek to help others use them.
"If Will stops and cries Why, invoking Because, then Will stops & does nought. If Power asks why, then is Power weakness." (CCXX II:30-31)
Show Less
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
From my Cannonball Read 6 review...
During a training on equity and social justice, the leader showed a bit of Simon Sinek’s talk on “Starting with Why”. She only showed a couple of minutes, but I was intrigued enough to buy his book.
The Good
The underlying concept is interesting and I think
The Bad
But the bad is so bad. On my e-reader version, the book is 246 pages long. It wasn't until page 108 that a woman appeared. All of Mr. Sinek’s examples were of cis men who started businesses or were leaders; the vast majority of them were also white men. Martin Luther King Jr. does get discussed, but other than him? It's like a nightmare – a bunch of white dudes talking about how awesome they are.
The first mention of a woman is a woman in the military, too. So he didn't find a woman who had started a company that fit his theory; he had to look in the military. Hmmm. His second reference to a woman comes another fifty pages later, and it's not even a reference to an actual human. You know how sometimes authors alternate the generic pronouns they use when illustrating a point? "If someone wants to do x, he should..." or "If someone wants to do y, she should..."? Well, only once did I catch Mr. Sinek using a female pronoun ... and it was in a situation describing being emotional. REALLY?! Dude. It’s like satire at this point. Very few women mentioned, and when mentioned it's focused on non-business work or on emotion.
There are also some fairly white-savior moments, like when he was describing an organization founded to 'help' kids in the Middle East 'realize they can do more.' Um, hmmm. Perhaps that organization was different than described, but in reality it sounds like a pet project a rich white kid decided to do without really looking at what the community needed. Not exactly something to shout about. He also uses such demonstrably false phrases as "Working hard leads to winning." Sometimes is does lead to winning, but sometimes (many times, depending on where you start in life) it does not.
Overall
As I said, the concepts aren't bad, and I actually plan to apply them to my working life. But I definitely do not recommend the book. Watch the Ted talk. Maybe see if he has an article out there you could read. But save yourself the headache of plowing through an unintentionally whitewashed, male-centric version of history as told by Mr. Sinek.
During a training on equity and social justice, the leader showed a bit of Simon Sinek’s talk on “Starting with Why”. She only showed a couple of minutes, but I was intrigued enough to buy his book.
The Good
The underlying concept is interesting and I think
Show More
pretty useful. While the book is focused on success in the business world, I think the concept is sound when applied in other sectors and even one's personal life. The theory is this: most companies can say what they do (build computers), and most can communicate how they do it (using great technology, sturdy resources, intelligent staff), but the truly successful companies can say WHY they do what they do. ‘Starting with Why’ means looking beyond the traditional 'I do it to make money' concept to pinpoint what your real reasons are for doing something. Once that’s been identified, you should make choices that align with your 'Why.' The big examples he uses to illustrate this are Southwest Airlines, Apple, and Wal-Mart (before the founder died). As far as concepts go, it's not bad.The Bad
But the bad is so bad. On my e-reader version, the book is 246 pages long. It wasn't until page 108 that a woman appeared. All of Mr. Sinek’s examples were of cis men who started businesses or were leaders; the vast majority of them were also white men. Martin Luther King Jr. does get discussed, but other than him? It's like a nightmare – a bunch of white dudes talking about how awesome they are.
The first mention of a woman is a woman in the military, too. So he didn't find a woman who had started a company that fit his theory; he had to look in the military. Hmmm. His second reference to a woman comes another fifty pages later, and it's not even a reference to an actual human. You know how sometimes authors alternate the generic pronouns they use when illustrating a point? "If someone wants to do x, he should..." or "If someone wants to do y, she should..."? Well, only once did I catch Mr. Sinek using a female pronoun ... and it was in a situation describing being emotional. REALLY?! Dude. It’s like satire at this point. Very few women mentioned, and when mentioned it's focused on non-business work or on emotion.
There are also some fairly white-savior moments, like when he was describing an organization founded to 'help' kids in the Middle East 'realize they can do more.' Um, hmmm. Perhaps that organization was different than described, but in reality it sounds like a pet project a rich white kid decided to do without really looking at what the community needed. Not exactly something to shout about. He also uses such demonstrably false phrases as "Working hard leads to winning." Sometimes is does lead to winning, but sometimes (many times, depending on where you start in life) it does not.
Overall
As I said, the concepts aren't bad, and I actually plan to apply them to my working life. But I definitely do not recommend the book. Watch the Ted talk. Maybe see if he has an article out there you could read. But save yourself the headache of plowing through an unintentionally whitewashed, male-centric version of history as told by Mr. Sinek.
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LibraryThing member jeremiahstover
An excellent look at one of the keystones of business philosophy. I believe the author is starting from the wrong philosophical basis, however many of his observations are spot on. While some of the examples feel contrived, the points made appear to be significant. I must say that (as with most
====SECTION 2=====
Wow! just wow - assuming he is correct then I need to open up more about my why. I already have a why - have for years - it is what has driven me to this point - and what continues to drive me forward - it is how I motivate myself - but the idea that it could be the key to motivating others is not one I have stopped to consider. One of the most interesting things to consider as you read the second section is the primary example used - Apple. Since the death of Jobs, I think we can see a clear pattern of Apple starting to shift their focus from WHY to WHAT - commoditizing their products and shifting to a more mainstream presentation. Which raises the question "does it take a single individual with vision to maintain a solid why?" (any doubt on this point - just look at how much they are focusing increasingly on manipulation instead of inspiration to keep customers). His next point is restating "one size doesn't fit all" which is on my list of differentiators. Final point from section 2 - trust is a result of shared beliefs - without those shared beliefs you can choose to make things work but it won't happen automatically (lack of trust)
====SECTION 3========
You cannot convince someone else of your value - they will believe it on their own - based on their trust in you. Build trust (through shared values and beliefs) and they will attribute value to you. Although the author doesn't word it this way- it would seem that the customer always has this niggling suspicion in the back of their mind that you are just in it for yourself - for what you can get out of it - for the money, the power, etc... It is up to you to prove your values to allay this suspicion - which of course can only be accomplished if indeed it is not true.
To earn anothers trust you must serve them. You must make their progress easy - clear their path - open doors - solve their problems.
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business books) the content is more wordy than necessary to convey the basic idea - however the volume of content may be necessary to convince the expected audience. Once you grasp the key concepts however the idea is quite engaging - I have been striving to define a relationship based interaction with customers for years, it appears that Sinek is ahead of me in this.====SECTION 2=====
Wow! just wow - assuming he is correct then I need to open up more about my why. I already have a why - have for years - it is what has driven me to this point - and what continues to drive me forward - it is how I motivate myself - but the idea that it could be the key to motivating others is not one I have stopped to consider. One of the most interesting things to consider as you read the second section is the primary example used - Apple. Since the death of Jobs, I think we can see a clear pattern of Apple starting to shift their focus from WHY to WHAT - commoditizing their products and shifting to a more mainstream presentation. Which raises the question "does it take a single individual with vision to maintain a solid why?" (any doubt on this point - just look at how much they are focusing increasingly on manipulation instead of inspiration to keep customers). His next point is restating "one size doesn't fit all" which is on my list of differentiators. Final point from section 2 - trust is a result of shared beliefs - without those shared beliefs you can choose to make things work but it won't happen automatically (lack of trust)
====SECTION 3========
You cannot convince someone else of your value - they will believe it on their own - based on their trust in you. Build trust (through shared values and beliefs) and they will attribute value to you. Although the author doesn't word it this way- it would seem that the customer always has this niggling suspicion in the back of their mind that you are just in it for yourself - for what you can get out of it - for the money, the power, etc... It is up to you to prove your values to allay this suspicion - which of course can only be accomplished if indeed it is not true.
To earn anothers trust you must serve them. You must make their progress easy - clear their path - open doors - solve their problems.
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LibraryThing member ansate
some good ideas, some thoughts that really resonated. The examples were more annoying than helpful. oozing with love for Apple.
LibraryThing member sdmouton
Watch the TED talk. The book is okay if you're reading it over a long period of time, but the audiobook is unbearably repetitive.
LibraryThing member justindtapp
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. I keep books on management and leadership in my reading rotation because that's what every book on leadership and management I've read says managers and leaders should do.
Sinek's premise is that great companies have an identity
Other companies had products similar to iPods and iPhones before Apple rolled them out. But their marketing focused on what the devices could do, rather than why the customer should have one. A device that allows you to "hold hundreds of hours of mp3 files" is different psychologically than a device that lets you "have 1,000 songs in your pocket." That's why Apple succeeded while the others failed.
Sinek maintains competing on price, quality, rebates, celebrity endorsements, and clever marketing are "manipulations" that doom companies to mediocrity. But he does acknowledge the importance of "How," it's the second rung of the "Golden Circle" (love these business books defining vernacular). "Why" leaders need "How" people to organize their companies into efficient machines to deliver their product and message. But Why should be at the center of everything.
Key takeaways:
1. Keep returning to your "Why" and make sure it is instilled in your company so that it exists long after you're gone. Apple lost its "Why" when Steve Jobs was fired.
2. Avoid the temptation to focus on the "What" after you achieve success. Microsoft used to have a slogan of "A PC in every office and on every desk." Now, it's not clear what their "Why" is, and they've floundered.
3. Make sure you hire people that match up with your "Why," and not your "What" or "How." The CEO who replaced Steve Jobs after he fired was a great How guy but he didn't get the Why.
4. Pair yourself with good How people to make your business run efficiently. Jobs needed Wozniak; Gates needed Balmer (and vice versa).
As a Christian who is actively studying the doctrine of work and vocation, I agree with Sinek on the "Why" principle. Too many Christians identify themselves with what they do rather than why they do it. Ultimately, we should work, create products, start businesses, and help others for the glory of God and as an act of worshiping Him who gave us the capacity and the mandate (Genesis) to do such things. Our churches, likewise, should focus on the Why. A What church is one that is focused on having the best music, right programs, the highest attendance, the most baptisms, etc. rather than on leading people to a deeper relationship with Christ and one another. Churches stagnate and even become legalistic after they start focusing on the What.
Tivo might be the best example Sinek gives of a "what" company that performed dismally with a great product. The company focused marketing on the features of the product rather than the power and freedom that it gave TV watchers. Sinek proposes some alternative "why" pitches for companies like Tivo to get his point across.
Some of Sinek's conclusions are problematic or contradictory. He holds up Southwest Airlines as successful due largely to putting the employee, rather than the customer or the shareholder, first. But at the end of the day, it's the shareholders that have to be on board with the strategy. Other aspects of Southwest's business model that made it different from the other airlines go unmentioned. GM and Chrysler will gladly tell you that paying high wages and good benefits to employees-- putting them first-- only worked for so long in the face of global competition. That's life. Sinek's escape hatch is a carefully inserted caveat that "best practices" are not universally applicable-- every company, market, and situation is different.
Wal-Mart is another problematic what/why example in my view. Sinek maintains that Sam Walton's Wal-Mart was "obsessed with serving the community," whereas the modern Wal-Mart is only obsessed with low prices. This doesn't jive with other works on Wal-Mart I've read, it has always been Low Prices Every Day (and now it's Live Better). Sinek concludes that Walton just did not do a good enough job articulating his "Why" because the "Why" of a leader or company is more like a feeling than something that can be described by English. As a result, later CEOs got the What and the Why confused. I would argue that Low Prices and Live Better are still "Why" visions, nobody is better at delivering what consumers want at the lowest price than Wal-Mart.
I'm currently prepping to teach a section of Managerial Economics for MBA students. Production managers focus very much on the How and What. Competing on price is effective-- if you have properly estimated a demand curve for your product then proper pricing is not a "manipulation." Sinek's analysis falls short in this area. I would say he also falls into a false sense of thinking he is the first person to "discover" (his word) why people do what they do. Most people just don't read anything older than 20 years to know there really is "nothing new under the sun."
3 stars out of 5.
Sinek's premise is that great companies have an identity
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shared by their employees and customers that revolves around why the company/product exists rather than what the company/product does. Apple, as a frequent example, has a slogan of "Think Different" -- it's why it exists (think of the 1984 Big Brother Super Bowl commercial). People who buy Apple buy into that identity, they see it as a cause rather than just a product.Other companies had products similar to iPods and iPhones before Apple rolled them out. But their marketing focused on what the devices could do, rather than why the customer should have one. A device that allows you to "hold hundreds of hours of mp3 files" is different psychologically than a device that lets you "have 1,000 songs in your pocket." That's why Apple succeeded while the others failed.
Sinek maintains competing on price, quality, rebates, celebrity endorsements, and clever marketing are "manipulations" that doom companies to mediocrity. But he does acknowledge the importance of "How," it's the second rung of the "Golden Circle" (love these business books defining vernacular). "Why" leaders need "How" people to organize their companies into efficient machines to deliver their product and message. But Why should be at the center of everything.
Key takeaways:
1. Keep returning to your "Why" and make sure it is instilled in your company so that it exists long after you're gone. Apple lost its "Why" when Steve Jobs was fired.
2. Avoid the temptation to focus on the "What" after you achieve success. Microsoft used to have a slogan of "A PC in every office and on every desk." Now, it's not clear what their "Why" is, and they've floundered.
3. Make sure you hire people that match up with your "Why," and not your "What" or "How." The CEO who replaced Steve Jobs after he fired was a great How guy but he didn't get the Why.
4. Pair yourself with good How people to make your business run efficiently. Jobs needed Wozniak; Gates needed Balmer (and vice versa).
As a Christian who is actively studying the doctrine of work and vocation, I agree with Sinek on the "Why" principle. Too many Christians identify themselves with what they do rather than why they do it. Ultimately, we should work, create products, start businesses, and help others for the glory of God and as an act of worshiping Him who gave us the capacity and the mandate (Genesis) to do such things. Our churches, likewise, should focus on the Why. A What church is one that is focused on having the best music, right programs, the highest attendance, the most baptisms, etc. rather than on leading people to a deeper relationship with Christ and one another. Churches stagnate and even become legalistic after they start focusing on the What.
Tivo might be the best example Sinek gives of a "what" company that performed dismally with a great product. The company focused marketing on the features of the product rather than the power and freedom that it gave TV watchers. Sinek proposes some alternative "why" pitches for companies like Tivo to get his point across.
Some of Sinek's conclusions are problematic or contradictory. He holds up Southwest Airlines as successful due largely to putting the employee, rather than the customer or the shareholder, first. But at the end of the day, it's the shareholders that have to be on board with the strategy. Other aspects of Southwest's business model that made it different from the other airlines go unmentioned. GM and Chrysler will gladly tell you that paying high wages and good benefits to employees-- putting them first-- only worked for so long in the face of global competition. That's life. Sinek's escape hatch is a carefully inserted caveat that "best practices" are not universally applicable-- every company, market, and situation is different.
Wal-Mart is another problematic what/why example in my view. Sinek maintains that Sam Walton's Wal-Mart was "obsessed with serving the community," whereas the modern Wal-Mart is only obsessed with low prices. This doesn't jive with other works on Wal-Mart I've read, it has always been Low Prices Every Day (and now it's Live Better). Sinek concludes that Walton just did not do a good enough job articulating his "Why" because the "Why" of a leader or company is more like a feeling than something that can be described by English. As a result, later CEOs got the What and the Why confused. I would argue that Low Prices and Live Better are still "Why" visions, nobody is better at delivering what consumers want at the lowest price than Wal-Mart.
I'm currently prepping to teach a section of Managerial Economics for MBA students. Production managers focus very much on the How and What. Competing on price is effective-- if you have properly estimated a demand curve for your product then proper pricing is not a "manipulation." Sinek's analysis falls short in this area. I would say he also falls into a false sense of thinking he is the first person to "discover" (his word) why people do what they do. Most people just don't read anything older than 20 years to know there really is "nothing new under the sun."
3 stars out of 5.
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LibraryThing member mitchellray
The concepts, and even the model, that Simon Sinek shares in his book "Start with Why" are not new. Nonetheless, he has written an inspiring book. The reason Sinek inspires is because he integrates those concepts and clarifies their WHY—the purpose those concepts serve. Sinek effectively explains
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the source of inspiration at the individual and organizational levels and how to tap into that source for ourselves and those we would lead. Sinek provides practical advice as to how to inspire self and others. Anyone aspiring to lead will find this book a worthwhile read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Razinha
I heard that the author is speaking next week at a convention I'm attending. Never having heard of him, I decide to read this to get a perspective. Lot of fluff is the perspective I came away with. Check this gem:But if you ask most businesses why their customers are their customers, most will tell
"In other words, most companies have no clue why their customers are their customers"?? It's not the only specious conclusion he makes. Or specious presumption:There are a few leaders who choose to inspire rather than manipulate in order to motivate people
Well...to be fair, he establishes a point in semantics at the beginning:There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.
I think I'd have said "there are leaders, and then there are those in leadership positions", and as such, I wouldn't have confused the manipulator so with "leaders".
He trumpets Apple as a company that understands WHY (his caps...he does that a lot) it does WHAT it does (implicitly and explicitly calling out others for not knowing WHY), and seems to think Apple customers know WHY as well. Uhhhh...okay? And he Keeps. On. Grating. About. CrApple. Apple and U2 "share the same values". WTH? Where's he get his stuff?
And the pop psychobabble continues:People don't buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it. A failure to communicate WHY creates nothing but stress or doubt. In contrast, many people who are drawn to buy Macintosh computers or Harley-Davidson motorcycles, for example, don't need to talk to anyone about which brand to choose. They feel the utmost confidence in their decision and the only question they ask is which Mac or which Harley.A "failure to communicate why" creates creates stress? Please. He repeats that crap about people buying WHY you make something. Services, maybe. Products? Yeah, hardly. Oh, exceptions always exist - green something comes to mind - but I'm not buying a Chevy or a Samsung for their corporate philosophies, and projecting psychononsense on CrApple makes me chuckle.
But his gushing isn't just over Apple. Oh, Southwest gets a lot of love too. I find this interesting, because I find both companies - and their products - extremely annoying...and yet I use them. With CrApple, I'm too invested in their consumer electronics (I absolutely despise their "computers"), and Southwest is merely more convenient than other airlines because I live outside Dallas.
Sinek also likes Malcolm Gladwell. That's enough data for me. Silly of me? Well, I find Gladwell to be a hack, so there.
I'm not sure where Sinek gets his stats - they haven't been in the few sources I've spot checked - "10% of your customers are loyal to you"...( paraphrased) His endnotes are spurious and essentially useless - almost as if they were included to mimic legitimacy. Of course, his lawyers/publisher were smart enough to make him include cites for the direct quote lifts.
I'm being harder on Sinek than he probably deserves, I know, but there is a LOT of crap in this book. The thing is, I am a huge, HUGE fan of "Why am I in this business?" An Admiral asked me that about my motor pool branch 12 years ago and it stuck (turned out that we were the most cost effective by double, so the decision was a no brainier.) and I think we ALWAYS need to ask ourselves that question - again and again, and we need to COMMUNICATE the WHY. But Sinek did a dismal job articulating it. He really missed the point. Pseudo-philosophical/psychological nonsense, coupled with off the base examples, undermined a very good point.
So...I don't like the book much, BUT (borrowing his caps motif profusely, in case you didn't get that), I absolutely endorse the concept. Read this with a critical eye and take the valuable and useful parts for your toolbox. There IS good here...its just shrouded in gobbledygook.
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you it's because of superior quality, features, price or service. In other words, most companies have no clue why their customers are their customers."In other words, most companies have no clue why their customers are their customers"?? It's not the only specious conclusion he makes. Or specious presumption:There are a few leaders who choose to inspire rather than manipulate in order to motivate people
Well...to be fair, he establishes a point in semantics at the beginning:There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.
I think I'd have said "there are leaders, and then there are those in leadership positions", and as such, I wouldn't have confused the manipulator so with "leaders".
He trumpets Apple as a company that understands WHY (his caps...he does that a lot) it does WHAT it does (implicitly and explicitly calling out others for not knowing WHY), and seems to think Apple customers know WHY as well. Uhhhh...okay? And he Keeps. On. Grating. About. CrApple. Apple and U2 "share the same values". WTH? Where's he get his stuff?
And the pop psychobabble continues:People don't buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it. A failure to communicate WHY creates nothing but stress or doubt. In contrast, many people who are drawn to buy Macintosh computers or Harley-Davidson motorcycles, for example, don't need to talk to anyone about which brand to choose. They feel the utmost confidence in their decision and the only question they ask is which Mac or which Harley.A "failure to communicate why" creates creates stress? Please. He repeats that crap about people buying WHY you make something. Services, maybe. Products? Yeah, hardly. Oh, exceptions always exist - green something comes to mind - but I'm not buying a Chevy or a Samsung for their corporate philosophies, and projecting psychononsense on CrApple makes me chuckle.
But his gushing isn't just over Apple. Oh, Southwest gets a lot of love too. I find this interesting, because I find both companies - and their products - extremely annoying...and yet I use them. With CrApple, I'm too invested in their consumer electronics (I absolutely despise their "computers"), and Southwest is merely more convenient than other airlines because I live outside Dallas.
Sinek also likes Malcolm Gladwell. That's enough data for me. Silly of me? Well, I find Gladwell to be a hack, so there.
I'm not sure where Sinek gets his stats - they haven't been in the few sources I've spot checked - "10% of your customers are loyal to you"...( paraphrased) His endnotes are spurious and essentially useless - almost as if they were included to mimic legitimacy. Of course, his lawyers/publisher were smart enough to make him include cites for the direct quote lifts.
I'm being harder on Sinek than he probably deserves, I know, but there is a LOT of crap in this book. The thing is, I am a huge, HUGE fan of "Why am I in this business?" An Admiral asked me that about my motor pool branch 12 years ago and it stuck (turned out that we were the most cost effective by double, so the decision was a no brainier.) and I think we ALWAYS need to ask ourselves that question - again and again, and we need to COMMUNICATE the WHY. But Sinek did a dismal job articulating it. He really missed the point. Pseudo-philosophical/psychological nonsense, coupled with off the base examples, undermined a very good point.
So...I don't like the book much, BUT (borrowing his caps motif profusely, in case you didn't get that), I absolutely endorse the concept. Read this with a critical eye and take the valuable and useful parts for your toolbox. There IS good here...its just shrouded in gobbledygook.
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LibraryThing member KyleLanser
Great book, covers one topic and covers it well.
1. Start with Why, this is the filter through which all of your decisions will be made.
2. Now, the What, the what is a demonstration of the Why.
3. Finally the How, this is the nitty gritty details of getting the 'What' done.
1. Start with Why, this is the filter through which all of your decisions will be made.
2. Now, the What, the what is a demonstration of the Why.
3. Finally the How, this is the nitty gritty details of getting the 'What' done.
LibraryThing member Haidji
Inspirational book
This book gives a very good explanation of what makes a leader and what you need to become one.
It is one of the best books on the subject of understanding why you do what you do to make a living whether you are a small business or a large corporation.
The ideas presented in this
I'm a believer that we should all start with WHY.
This book gives a very good explanation of what makes a leader and what you need to become one.
It is one of the best books on the subject of understanding why you do what you do to make a living whether you are a small business or a large corporation.
The ideas presented in this
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book are very interesting and well developed with insight as to what a great leader should be doing.I'm a believer that we should all start with WHY.
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LibraryThing member open-leadership
As we did in the POP, we should start with WHY. WHY means "why we exist," the most fundamental question to a mission-driven organization. I am happy to be a part of open leadership camp, and this camp, again, reminds me WHY.
LibraryThing member GShuk
Great book that delivers on its title. To inspire we need to change our focus from what or how we do things to why we do them. He claims that shift can streamline communications inside and outside a company and is what helps to make an emotional connection. Its not that you have never heard this
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kind of idea, however it is the way he presents and plays with this concept that that makes it worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member scaredda
An inspiring book, that throughly illustrates the reason for which some businesses are able to succeed: by providing to human beings (their employees, their customers etc.) a "reason" to believe. Sinek is able to illustrate the book with a variety of very good examples, grounding the idea in a very
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to ease approach. Show Less
LibraryThing member RajivC
The core of this book is around the ‘why’, and his logical framework of going from ‘why’ to ‘how’ to the ‘what’.
The ‘what’ refers to the result of the actions.
There are some excellent points in the book; however, he repeats points again and again.
As long as you can take away
Luckily, it is not a dense book so that it can be read quickly.
The ‘what’ refers to the result of the actions.
There are some excellent points in the book; however, he repeats points again and again.
As long as you can take away
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the core message, then the book is worth reading. Luckily, it is not a dense book so that it can be read quickly.
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LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
In a very simple diagram, Sinek reminds us the importance of connecting to our vision to pull through tough or uninspiring moments and to keep our actions ligned to strategy. It's compelling, easy and well explained. The book could have been a pamphlet, however: it's extremely repetitive with the
A good reminder on how to reconnect with fundamentals when establishing an idea.
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usual examples of Apple and Microsoft, which became tiresome.A good reminder on how to reconnect with fundamentals when establishing an idea.
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LibraryThing member jmcdbooks
Rated: A-
Simon Sinek is one of my mentors. Love his perspective on life. Leaders need to Inspire a Shared Vision which starts with Purpose -- your WHY. For the most part, the book is filled with wisdom of why WHY is so important as a starting point to align people with purpose and passion. His
Simon Sinek is one of my mentors. Love his perspective on life. Leaders need to Inspire a Shared Vision which starts with Purpose -- your WHY. For the most part, the book is filled with wisdom of why WHY is so important as a starting point to align people with purpose and passion. His
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TED-talk got to the heart of the matter while the book's take one HOW and WHY was a little messy. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
Most people engage the world passionately through labor of some kind, only to lose their sense of purpose with time. Work becomes repetitive, and new outlets become sparse. In this book, Sinek suggests that great leaders continually re-engage with why they are doing what they do. They articulate
Now, Sinek freely admits that not everyone is a “why” person. There are also “how” people. Often, the why and how people pair together with one defining a vision and another implementing that vision into action. However, to borrow from spiritual language, the why person represents the soul of the organization, without which the group flounders. As the endeavor expands, the why person has to use words and structure to scale their vision for wider effects. Few actually have the skill to see these ventures through from beginning to end. Those that do achieve greatness.
To illustrate and argue for his points, Sinek borrows from a wide berth of figures and businesses. Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and other popular entities are referenced throughout this work. He even mentions the hardships that people face in losing their sense of why as they are overcome by a relentless what. The what and they why predictably “split” as the vision slowly dies out. Towards the end of the book, he ties these concepts to his personal story of struggle and success.
This book has obvious appeal to business and management types. However, the leaders of other organizations – like religious organizations, non-profits, or even educators – can benefit from a quick sprucing up on their leadership skills. Sinek provides clear words, cogent examples, and organizational structures for others to codify their inspiration into. It helps those active in hard work to remember why they are doing the what they do.
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their vision and systematize their effects in organization. By scaling their purpose, the best leaders inspire others to amplify their purpose for positive (and measurable) outcomes.Now, Sinek freely admits that not everyone is a “why” person. There are also “how” people. Often, the why and how people pair together with one defining a vision and another implementing that vision into action. However, to borrow from spiritual language, the why person represents the soul of the organization, without which the group flounders. As the endeavor expands, the why person has to use words and structure to scale their vision for wider effects. Few actually have the skill to see these ventures through from beginning to end. Those that do achieve greatness.
To illustrate and argue for his points, Sinek borrows from a wide berth of figures and businesses. Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and other popular entities are referenced throughout this work. He even mentions the hardships that people face in losing their sense of why as they are overcome by a relentless what. The what and they why predictably “split” as the vision slowly dies out. Towards the end of the book, he ties these concepts to his personal story of struggle and success.
This book has obvious appeal to business and management types. However, the leaders of other organizations – like religious organizations, non-profits, or even educators – can benefit from a quick sprucing up on their leadership skills. Sinek provides clear words, cogent examples, and organizational structures for others to codify their inspiration into. It helps those active in hard work to remember why they are doing the what they do.
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LibraryThing member wunder
A simple (but not new) idea beat into the ground with an unorganized salad of anecdotes. Really painful to read, because I'm pretty sure that the author is smarter than this book appears.
Early on, he promises a later chapter about how you can discover your WHY. Yes, he always puts that in all caps.
In the acknowledgements, he thanks his editor who "let me push him to do things differently." Looking at the finished product, that was probably not a smart decision.
I haven't seen the TED Talk, but I would recommend spending 20 minutes on that and skipping this book.
Early on, he promises a later chapter about how you can discover your WHY. Yes, he always puts that in all caps.
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I never could find that, even in the short section titled "Discover WHY".In the acknowledgements, he thanks his editor who "let me push him to do things differently." Looking at the finished product, that was probably not a smart decision.
I haven't seen the TED Talk, but I would recommend spending 20 minutes on that and skipping this book.
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LibraryThing member meghayden
Start with the title. You're done. The rest of the book simply gives examples of those companies that had vision and those that didn't. If you already believed the basic premise, there was little to gain. It didn't explain how to keep why paramount in your day to day work, how to find why if you
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are working in a job without a clear purpose, how to inspire others to share your vision. Show Less
LibraryThing member sbenne3
There is a good premise here and learnings for leaders. However, this content just has not aged very well. The examples are outdated and less relevant to business today.
ISBN
9781591846444