WHY

“two ways to influence human behaviour: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.” Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action ~Simon Sinek

As I prepared to begin this overwhelming, I mean, exciting journey, I was faced with the question of where do I start? Now, as someone who has a tendency to overthink things from time to time, I worked through a few questions… do I start with my most recent read, or maybe one that has impacted me the most (Brene Brown cough, cough), or maybe something that is relevant to a current social justice issue… trust me this went on for a while… Finally, it came to me, I would start with the book that, in a sense, started me on this journey. 

Start with Why by Simon Sinek was a game-changer for me. This was probably the first leadership/personal development book that I read on purpose AND all the way through. Initially, it felt like this book was written for “other” people, you know, people that are entrepreneurs, that create things, build businesses, etc, not regular people like me. But the beginning intrigued me when it said,

There are leaders and there are those who lead.

Leaders hold a position of power or influence.

Those who lead inspire us.

Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those

who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. 

We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.

This is a book for those who want to inspire others and 

for those who want to find someone to inspire them. 

This grabbed my attention! I will likely never start a business or run a huge company but I am in the “people” business and I have always had the tiny dream of being a world changer. I wanted to learn more about how to inspire others because if I am to affect any meaningful change in the world, it will likely take more than just me doing something, it will take a vision that others want to be a part of. The author starts by laying out the concept that there are leaders and there are those that lead. He takes us on a journey looking at a variety of change makers including, the Wright brothers, Apple, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Disney, and John F Kennedy. He shows us that all inspiring leaders and companies, regardless of size or industry, think, act and communicate alike. 

Start with Why gives practical examples demonstrating that we are drawn to leaders and/or organizations that are good at communicating what they believe, their WHY. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us. The author shares, what he calls, The Golden Circle. This method allows leaders to inspire action instead of manipulating people to act. The golden circle starts with WHY (you do what you do), HOW (you do what you do), then, only after both of those, comes WHAT (you do)! He emphasizes over and over that people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. 

I have the privilege of knowing an amazing family that has demonstrated this very principle. Years ago, their son collaborated with another student on a school project and created a brand of clothing with the goal to feed hungry kids. Since it started in December 2015, 1M One Meal has grown under the dedication of the brother and sister team, Alonso and Paola, and has provided meals for over 6,750 children in their local community as well as throughout Africa. Their story is one of many where their WHY has inspired others to come alongside and support their vision of #kidsfeedingkids. 

At the beginning of this book, the author talks about how he came to a place where he felt that he had lost his passion in the work he was doing, but by examining and refocusing on his WHY he was able to find fulfillment once again. Start with Why inspired me to look at my own life and ask some tough questions about what I was doing and where I was going. It started me on a journey of examining my WHY, and let me tell you, I am still working through that one. I felt that this book was the perfect one to start with on this project as I believe it was the catalyst that placed my feet on the path that I am now travelling. If you feel like you are a bit lost or have misplaced your passion in life, it might be a great time to begin your own journey of self exploration and START WITH WHY. 

~A

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ~Mortimer J. Adler