The Power of ‘Why?’: Learn the Power of the Golden Circle

The Lesson: Simon Sinek presents a simple (but powerful) model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, the Wright brothers, and – as a counterpoint – Tivo.

Notable Excerpt: “Very few people or organizations know why they do what they do. And by why, I don’t mean to make a profit. That’s always a result. By why, I mean what’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning and why should anyone care?”

The Host: Simon Sinek is the marketing consultant, bestselling author, motivational speaker, and critically-acclaimed mastermind behind Start With Why: an organization made up of other business moguls dedicated to helping others find their passion and leadership stride. His TED talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Others, has been ranked as their third most popular talk of all time.

Books: Sinek is the author of several groundbreaking bestsellers, such as “Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action”; “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t”; and “Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team”.

Podcast: The Start With Why podcast, which is hosted by the organization’s own David Mead and Stephen Shedletzky, is available on iTunes and Stitcher.