Why Great Leaders Need to Start with Why
The average person has likely never heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley. Even though this American astronomer, physicist, inventor, and aviation pioneer played an integral part in the development of man-made flight, Langley’s name is overshadowed by two famous brothers: Orville and Wilbur Wright.
According to Simon Sinek, author of the acclaimed leadership book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, the reason the Wright Brothers overshadowed Langley’s efforts was due to the brothers’ ability to start with why. “Both the Wright brothers and Langley were highly motivated. Both had a strong work ethic. Both had keen scientific minds. They were pursuing exactly the same goal, but only the Wright brothers were able to inspire those around them and truly lead their team to develop a technology that would change the world.”
Inspire your team by leading with why
What Sinek refers to as “Why” is commonly known as vision. What is it that inspires your customers, employees, and colleagues? Are you leading with a reason they can believe in? Throughout his novel, Sinek shows examples on how the great leaders and companies of our time—from Apple to Martin Luther King Jr.—used “Why” to inspire monumental change.
And while it may seem that some leaders were born with a natural ability to inspire and lead, Sinek argues there’s a formula anyone can practice. Throughout Start with Why, Sinek provides aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators with the formula they need to inspire the desired action and change.
Top reviews of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
“Start with Why is one of the most useful and powerful books I have read in years. Simple and elegant, it shows us how leaders should lead.” -William Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes
“Start with Why fanned the flames inside me. This book can lead you to levels of excellence you never considered attainable.” -General Chuck Horner, air boss, Desert Storm
“Each story will force you to see things from an entirely different perspective. A perspective that is nothing short of the truth.” -Mokhtar Lamani, former ambassador, special envoy to Iraq