Start With Why by Simon Sinek: Summary and Notes
Why are some organizations and leaders able to inspire while others simply can’t?
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“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
Rating: 7/10
Related Books: Find Your Why, Leaders Eat Last, The Infinite Game, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Start With Why Short Summary
Start With Why by Simon Sinek is a book that explores why some organizations and individuals are able to inspire and others simply can’t. Inspirational leaders start with WHY. They create their reasons and beliefs first before figuring out the WHAT and the HOW. An excellent book on why some businesses and individuals outperform others. I found it a bit repetitive.
The WHY
There is a reason why some organizations and businesses are able to thrive even when others are failing around them.
Often, their WHY is well articulated. When organizations have a convincing belief, they are able to inspire loyalty in others.
WHY forms part of their identity and it informs the reason why people do the things that they do. Great leaders and visionaries have a powerful WHY.
Companies with inspirational WHY’s include Apple and Southwest Airlines. And also movements such as the Civil Rights movement.
Apple’s WHY is to change how people think and to advance humankind. The message is clear and is well-known by the general public.
Assume You Know
Waiting to have all the facts can lead to decision paralysis at the same time. False assumptions can lead to bad decisions.
For example:
In ancient times, most people believed that the earth was flat. Because of this, there was little exploration. Only when the flat earth theory was disproved did the age of exploration begin.