Author: Simon Sinek
Introduction
We all know what we do and many of us know how we do what we do. But do we actually know why we do what we do?
“Start with Why” is a handbook to seriously ponder over that “WHY”.
Simon Sinek tries to explain the importance of this with his powerful concept called The Golden Circle.
There are millions of companies around the world, who make billions of products.
Why is that some companies go on to make a legacy and some vanish in thin air.
How some teams go on to become very successful while being happier and why is that some teams vanish out.
The key difference lies in how those companies and teams portray themselves, how they establish their purpose and how they go on to influence the masses.
Simon tries to correlate this concept with the science of how our brain functions (Neo-Cortex and Limbic brain).
How our brain functions
The Outer part of the brain is called Neo-Cortex and the inner part is called the “Limbic” brain
Neo Cortex is responsible for your languages, analytical or rational thinking
Limbic brain is responsible for emotions and feelings.
As in the picture here, the Limbic brain is the WHY of the Golden Circle. When your Why’s are powerful enough, people can resonate with you and start listening to your What’s and How’s. When you do the reverse, almost all just fade away.
Law of Diffusion
Many companies invest millions of dollars to sell their products in billions and they are compelled to go that way to keep their businesses afloat. The moment they stop those millions, or the moment a serious competitor comes aboard with a similar practice, they are no more in the game. Coz, people forget them easily.
Law of Diffusion talks about Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards.
While the companies focussing on their “WHAT” are seriously spending millions in Ads and Marketing campaigns and targeting the Late Majority and the Laggards, the companies focussing on their “WHY” take the reverse stand. They focus on attracting the Innovators and the Early Adopters. The innovators are the people who got the mindset to challenge the status-quo. When they have eyes on your product, it reaches the Innovators. And like a ripple effect, it reaches the Early Majority and the Late Majority in no time. To achieve this, you don’t have to spend in millions. All you got to do is make those sections of Innovators and Early Adopters feel the way you feel. That can happen when your WHY is aligned to their WHY.
Simon quotes repeated examples from Apple, Martin Luther King and Marine Corps in establishing what the power of WHY can do in various stages of the book.
Conclusion
This book is not just about what’s quoted above, it is a lot more. It has a lot for everyone. Whether you are a Small business owner, a team leader, an employee, a sales person or a CEO, you will have something powerful to takeaway from this book.
Happy Reading!
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