Great leaders inspire action — but how do they do it? Why are they great leaders? Why do people want to follow great leaders? Here’s a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” In this talk, Simon Sinek explores how leaders can inspire action, cooperation, and trust.
How do you explain why some people are able to achieve things that seem to defy all the assumptions; easily disrupting the status quo? In September of 2009 Mr. Sinek delivered this short (17 minute) talk at TEDx Puget Sound — to a small group of about 50 people. Who could have known that an audience of more than 51 million people all over the world would eventually be watching and learning from the video recording made that day? Why did this video go viral?
Great Leaders Ask Why
Sinek asked: “Why is Apple so innovative year after year? They’re more innovative than their competition … and yet they’re just a computer company with the same resources as everyone else…” Why did Martin Luther King become the great leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America? He was only one man among millions of suffering black Americans in that era, and yet millions began following his leadership. Why him? Why were the Wright brothers the first to figure out controlled human flight, when others had access to larger budgets and more resources?
There’s a pattern. All great leaders follow this pattern. Sinek calls it the golden circle: Why? How? What? “Very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do.” Those who start with why have the ability to inspire people around them.
Imagine a world in which the vast majority of us wake up inspired, feel safe at work and return home fulfilled at the end of the day.
Simon Sinek – Start With Why
A complete transcript of the video recording is here along with subtitles in 48 languages.
Simon Sinek is an author and entrepreneur. He teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. He is the author of several books including: Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action and Find Your Why: A Practical Guide For Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team along with Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t.
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