Start With Why:
How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.
| Author: Simon Sinek, 2009 |
This book was so fitting for me at the time when my late cousin Rudy Gheysen recommended it to me. Rudy knew the struggle I was having finding purpose in my career, and this book helped me uncover it.
One simple takeaway from this book - you have to know your why first, then the how and the what will become clear. When, and only when you understand your why, will people follow you and support you.
Simon has made a great impact on some simple concepts, that make so much sense. The amazing part is that many leaders invest in complicated, costly fixes, while overlooking simple concepts that can have a lasting impact on their company.
When you know your why, that structure drives the focus on your purpose. This leads to focusing on people, and not the numbers. With a pure vision you will - build trust, invest in your people, and take care of your people knowing they will take care of the company. Although this does not give immediate returns, they will be sustained, and in fact, can last a lifetime if you are truly living by your why. Great leaders have the ability to find great fits for their organization. A company is unstoppable, when the why is clear, and the team is united.
Without trust, people will not take risks. The structure of a “culture of fear” drives people to look after their own interests instead of the whole of the group. Focusing on the budget, instead of the people, will only lead to short term gains. Trust allows us to rely on others. If you feel protected, it allows you to focus on the issues at hand for the company, and not worry about how it will make others feel.
These concepts have become the foundations for Manufacturing Greatness and building a positive culture. Without a foundation of why, a vision, a purpose, you can never reach the true potential of your organization. This is because focusing on the potential of your people, and walking through these steps becomes imperative.
In sadness, Rudy never got a chance to read my review, but he knows the impact he had on my life. I really miss his mentoring and friendship. Thanks Rudy for doing as Simon says, and passing it on to someone searching for their why. Life gets better, when you get better, and finding your why is key.
Reviewed by: Trevor Blondeel