Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek
The more organizations and people who learn to start with WHY, the more people there will be who wake up feeling fulfilled by the work they do. Listen to my podcast to learn more!
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek is a book about inspiring individuals to find and start with their WHY. He says that when we start with WHY in everything that we do, we inspire action in a way that WHAT doesn’t. “Start with Why” draws upon real-life experiences and examples to identify a naturally occurring pattern, a way of thinking, acting and communicating that gives some leaders the ability to inspire those around them. The more organizations and people who learn to start with WHY, the more people there will be who wake up feeling fulfilled by the work they do. Listen to my podcast to learn more!
I never considered that if you want to be a leader and be fulfilled with what you do, you have to start with why. I also really liked that the best businesses are built off of inspired employees and I feel like I can definitely use this when I start to look for jobs after college.
The fact that this book resonated with you enough that you started small changes in your life makes it seem like a good book off the bat. The lessons you mentioned are the essentials to a good business. When employees are happy to work and enjoy what they do, the productivity is always there. This sounds very inspirational read.
The concept of “why” is an interesting concept to play on. In a world where many people are curious and can find information online in a matter of seconds, brands should be transparent and ready to share why and how they do things. Charisma is something that people & brands have – charismatic people are likely to be more relatable and interesting. Knowing this, brands should consider how they are getting their message out there to consumers.
This sounds like an inspirational book. I believe many successful businesses have been profitable to their “why.” I haven’t quite applied this concept to a leadership setting, but it’s encouraging and rooted in a truth. Simon Sinek’s book seems to outline the steps needed to be successful in communication and I might just have to give this book a try.
I have this book, and really enjoy it. It helps the reader understand “why” research is the foundation. But I also like how the author makes the reason why personal. Being in advertising isn’t about self-praise like some may think, it’s about backing your morals with your company and why they choose the brands they choose.
This is a great book and his talk is wonderful as well. I enjoyed your podcast overview, Allison! A recent example in the advertising world of a brand that started with WHY for me is Subaru with their Love campaign(s) created over many years by Carmichael Lynch. The work is inspired by Subaru owners themselves and their love for their cars, their loved ones, and causes close to their hearts. https://carmichaellynch.com/work/subaru-love/
Thank you, Sheryl! :). It really is a great read! Subaru is certainly a prime example of a company that started with WHY. I too am a huge fan of its Love campaign and admire the fact that I can always tell an ad is a Subaru one just from the way it is executed. Very strong brand message and placement!
Its awesome to see a book that focuses on the very core of a brand and how essential it is. I feel like a lot of times people will overlook the importance of having a core purpose for a brand. With the example of Apple, and plenty of others it is clear that companies with a firm understanding of their “Why” are some of the strongest brands we see.
I really like the idea of focusing on the WHY first and then going through the remaining stages of HOW and WHAT. Typically when you create a campaign, a big idea, anything for a brand you naturally begin brainstorming ideas for ads and content before you started conducting research on your target. While I don’t think this is bad per se, it seems like most the time your first ideas, impressions, and preconceived notions about your target are WAY off. If we as advertisers got into the habit of examining the WHY first, we could save a lot of time in creating an idea that resonates, because we would know why certain things do and why certain things don’t. Creating an idea that resonates and evokes strong emotion is something that all advertisers want to achieve because at the end of the day if you’re idea doesn’t stick, you’ve failed in your goal.