Start with Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon Sinek introduces the Golden Circle framework, explaining how great leaders and organizations inspire action by starting with 'why' rather than 'what' - because people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
The Golden Circle
Sinek's core framework consists of three concentric circles:
- Why (center) - Your purpose, cause, or belief
- How - Your differentiated process or value proposition
- What - The products or services you offer
Most people communicate from the outside in (What → How → Why). Inspired leaders and organizations communicate from the inside out (Why → How → What).
Key Takeaways
- People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it - This is the central thesis, repeated throughout
- The "why" is not about profit - that's always a result. It's about purpose, cause, and belief
- The limbic brain controls decision-making but has no capacity for language - this is why we "feel" decisions and say things "don't feel right"
- Hire people who believe what you believe - they'll work with blood, sweat, and tears, not just for a paycheck
The Biology Behind It
The brain structure maps to the Golden Circle:
- Neocortex (What) - Rational, analytical thought, language
- Limbic brain (Why/How) - Feelings, trust, loyalty, decision-making, behavior - but no language capacity
This explains "gut decisions" - we can process facts and figures rationally, but decisions happen in the part of the brain that can't express itself in words.
Case Studies
Apple vs. Competitors
Apple communicates their belief first: "Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo." Their products are proof of that belief. Gateway and Dell had the same capabilities but failed at TVs and MP3 players because they only communicated what they made, not why.
Wright Brothers vs. Samuel Pierpont Langley
Langley had everything: $50,000 funding, Harvard connections, best talent, media attention. The Wright Brothers had none of it - funded by their bicycle shop, no college education, no press coverage. But the Wright Brothers believed their work would change the world. Langley wanted to be rich and famous. When the Wright Brothers succeeded, Langley quit instead of building on their work.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
250,000 people showed up in Washington not for him, but for themselves - for what they believed about America. He gave the "I have a dream" speech, not the "I have a plan" speech. Leaders hold positions; those who lead inspire us.
Law of Diffusion of Innovation
- Innovators: 2.5%
- Early Adopters: 13.5%
- Early Majority: 34%
- Late Majority: 34%
- Laggards: 16%
You need 15-18% market penetration to reach the tipping point. The early adopters make gut decisions based on what they believe, not just what product is available. They stood in line 6 hours for the first iPhone not because of the technology, but because of what it said about them.
Notable Quotes
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."
"The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe."
"If you hire people just because they can do a job, they'll work for your money, but if you hire people who believe what you believe, they'll work for you with blood and sweat and tears."
"There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or authority, but those who lead inspire us."