The key ideas

Start with Why

Simon Sinek, 2009

Why does one brand with an ordinary product inspire almost religious devotion, while another — with better specs and a bigger budget — stays just one of many? Sinek shows that it isn’t about what you sell, but why you do it: that “why” is what people are really buying. The book offers a simple model, the Golden Circle, that helps you put your “why” into words and turn it into a real competitive advantage.

Who it is for

Leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to inspire the people around them instead of just selling a product or giving orders

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

What the book is about

Why do some companies and leaders inspire genuine devotion, while others — with an equally good product and an equally big budget — stay just one of the crowd? Simon Sinek noticed a pattern: inspiring organizations and people, from Apple to the Wright brothers, from Martin Luther King Jr. to small teams, all communicate with the world in the same unusual order.

Most people and companies start by explaining what they do, then how they do it, and only last — if at all — why. Inspiring leaders do the exact opposite: they start with why, and only then move on to how and what. Sinek calls this model the “Golden Circle,” and uses it, through a wealth of examples, to show why this order changes everything — from sales and customer loyalty to whether people follow a leader out of obligation or out of genuine desire.

Idea 1. The Golden Circle: why, how, what

At the heart of the book is a simple model of three concentric circles. The outer circle, “what,” is the product or service a company makes — visible and obvious at a glance. The middle circle, “how,” is the way the company does its work: its technologies, processes, distinguishing features. The innermost, smallest circle is “why”: the company’s reason for existing, the belief that started it all, beyond making a profit.

Most organizations know perfectly well what they do. Many can explain how they do it better than their competitors. But very few can clearly state why they do it at all, and it’s precisely that small group, Sinek observes, that earns a disproportionate amount of loyalty from customers and employees alike.

A typical computer company might say: “We make great computers (what); they have a friendly interface and beautiful design (how) — want to buy one?” That’s how most brands talk, and it works, but it doesn’t inspire.

Before you say what you do, ask yourself: why do you do it in the first place?

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About the author

Simon Sinek is an American author and leadership speaker whose TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” became one of the most-watched talks in the platform’s history.

All books by this author: Simon Sinek

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