One of the most popular TED talks of all time, given by leadership expert Simon Sinek, considers this very question. With almost 20 million views, there are clearly many people who want to understand what it takes to lead in a way that inspires others, and why it is that some organisations and some leaders are able to inspire where others aren’t?
In his talk, Sinek claims to have discovered a pattern between these leaders, which he has codified into an idea called the ‘golden circle’.
“Every single person, every single organisation on the planet knows what they do, 100%. Some know how they do it, whether you call it your differentiated value proposition or your proprietary process or your USP. But very, very few people or organisations know why they do what they do…By “why,” I mean: What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organisation exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?”
Core to Sinek’s ‘golden circle’ principle is the idea that “people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
Apple
Citing Apple as a shining example, Sinek attributes the brand’s success to its ability to get people to believe in what it does by communicating why they do things the way they do. So rather than saying “we make great computers — want to buy one?”, Apple has always placed emphasis on communicating from the inside out, clarifying why it builds the products it does.
According to Sinek, Apple says: “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”
The science
Sinek bases his theory upon scientific fact, and specifically, the biological make-up of the brain, which he says corresponds directly to his ‘golden circle’ rule.
A cross-section of the brain has three major components. The neocortex (on the outside) is responsible for all of our rational and analytical thought and language. Our limbic brains (the middle two sections) are responsible for all of our feelings, like trust and loyalty. They are also responsible for all human behaviour, all decision-making, and have no capacity for language.
So, according to Sinek, “when we can communicate from the inside out, we’re talking directly to the part of the brain that controls behaviour, and then we allow people to rationalise it with the tangible things we say and do. This is where gut decisions come from.”
For a business having a clear purpose, a clear Why, is essential to give the business direction. The business Why acts like a true north compass steering the business towards success, Without knowing where you are going the business can end up stalling and at best going round in a circle. Being busy but achieving little.
A clear business Why is also of paramount importance as it helps engage the mind and soul of team members who want to innately contribute to a bigger purpose. When everyone is on the same page then as the organisation is able to start unlocking some of its hidden potential. Why? because team members give more of themselves when they acknowledge they are committed to a vision bigger than themselves. In the words of Sinek, “Whether they’re individuals or organisations, 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.”
So if you haven’t already, ask yourself why you do what you do every day. Once you can answer that with conviction, you’ll be more likely to hire team members who share your beliefs and win the trust and loyalty of those whom you lead, whilst sprinkling a bit of inspiration along the way.
Creating a solid Business Promise (Why) is a key facet of one of the three cornerstones of creating a Joined Up Business and that is explained in my book the Alchemy Of Change: Ancient Wisdom Re-invented to Unleash the Potential Of Leaders and Team. You can get a copy here.
Julia Felton (aka The Business Wrangler) is the founder of Business HorsePower. Business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives hire her to accelerate their business performance by harnessing the energy of their people to work more collaboratively together. By aligning purpose with actions the team achieves exponential results as everyone starts pulling in the same direction.
Julia believes that business is a force for good and through designing purpose-driven businesses that leverage the laws of nature, and the herd, you can create businesses founded on the principles of connection, collaboration and community that make a significant impact in the world.
