Do you start with Why, or How and What?

Thought provoking conversation to launch the network’s first book club:

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

What do Apple, Martin Luther King and Harley Davidson have in common? They inspire. And, how do they inspire? Thought leader Simon Sinek says they “start with why”, or rather, as leaders their decisions and communications are 100% driven by their inner purpose.

After the NZBWN’s newly formed book club met in June to dedicate two whole wonderful hours of deep and exploratory discussion on Sinek’s book “Start with Why”, the consensus was that his ideas on leadership are indeed relevant and inspiring, and have most certainly influenced the way in which we are all going to operate professionally and personally into the future.

The group agreed that Start with Why is one of those books that delivers multiple “aha!” moments and the “aha!” moments just kept rolling for all nine women as we related key concepts to our own experiences over a yummy brunch at Ozone in Shoreditch.

These key concepts were born out of Simon Sinek’s own realisation (and experience) that, unfortunately, the majority of businesses fail and that many of those that succeed, such as Apple and Harley Davidson, do so because of a purpose led leadership style attracting committed, long-term customers. He compares this to a leadership style that is often led by pressure, competition, fear and manipulation attracting short-term, single-use customers – a business model mostly unsustainable and often leading to business demise. For Sinek that’s the differentiator. He says starting with why is reallyabout being fully aware and connected to your inner purpose and allowing this to drive your decisions professionally, and personally too. He also refers to this as a person’s gut instinct that generates from the limbic brain – the central area of the brain that is often hard to reach and produces feelings that are tricky to verbalise. He uses his golden circle tool to demonstrate the science behind this concept which perfectly aligns with the inner and outer parts of the brain – limbic: the central brain and where those indescribable feelings and gut reactions are generated that indicate to us when we are following our purpose or “why”, and the neocortex: the outer brain, the “how” and “what” of the golden circle, where analytical and externally influenced responses are formed that may be often driven by a reaction to fear or pressure – decisions that Sinek describes as inauthentic and unsustainable. Being authentic, he argues, will keep your customers dedicated to your cause for the long term - in his words: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it”.

Overall the group thoroughly enjoyed “Start with Why” and hearing each other’s views of the book. Sinek clearly lays out the key principles of the  golden circle and this is supported with an array of online talks, interviews and tools. This book is a must for those that are starting out on a new business venture or those that need to cut through the day to day grind and chatter to remind themselves of their original motivations – you never know where this may lead you and your business.

So, consider this, next time you are sitting down to write marketing copy, presentation or sales pitch for your business, how about you start with why?

I very much enjoyed seeing key book concepts put into great logical explanations giving an added push to go

for what "feels" right for me in my business with extra confidence and belief!

- Melissa Booth, Knowing Birth Owner, on "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek