Do you know your why?
Start with Why is an idea from the author Simon Sinek: people and organisations that inspire others start with why they do something, not with what they do. It began as a lesson about leadership and became a question for everyone.
Start with Why in short
Start with Why is Simon Sinek's idea that inspiring people and organisations communicate from the inside out: first why they do something (their purpose), then how, then what. He calls this the Golden Circle. The same question works for a life: when you know your why, decisions get easier.
Where it comes from
Simon Sinek presented the Golden Circle in a talk at TEDxPugetSound in September 2009, "How great leaders inspire action". It became one of the most-watched TED talks ever. His book Start With Why came out the same year.
In 2017 he followed it with Find Your Why, written with David Mead and Peter Docker, a practical guide to finding the why of a person or a team.
- Simon SinekBritish-American author and speaker Why your friend listens to Simon →
The idea in five points
Why, how, what
Three circles, from the inside out.
What is what you do. How is the way you do it. Why is the belief or purpose behind it. Sinek's point: most people explain from the outside in, while those who inspire start in the middle.
People follow a why
Not just a product.
Sinek's best-known line is that people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Whether or not you run a company, the same is true for friends, teams and families: people follow conviction.
Your why is already there
You find it, you don't invent it.
In Find Your Why, the why comes from your own stories: moments when you felt at your best, or moments that shaped you. It is in your past, waiting to be noticed.
One sentence
To ___ so that ___.
Sinek suggests putting your why into one sentence: what you give to others, and the effect you want it to have. Simple to write, and surprisingly hard to get right.
A filter for decisions
Yes, no, not now.
Once you can say your why, it becomes a filter. Does this job, this project or this yes move you toward it? If not, it may be a polite no.
Often misunderstood
Start with Why is sometimes read as a marketing trick: tell a nice story and people will buy. Sinek's own point is the opposite. A why only works if it's true and you live by it. Words without behaviour are just noise.
Try it today: five questions
- When did you last feel truly proud of something you did? Why that moment?
- What do people thank you for again and again?
- Fill in: To ___ so that ___.
- Which thing on your calendar this week has nothing to do with your why?
- Who in your life would you like to tell your why to?
How do you feel, out of five? Take the 2-minute check-in → Purpose affirmations →
Your why doesn't need to be perfect to be useful. A first draft on a napkin is more than most people have. Why not write it down today?
Go deeper
Simon Sinek's websiteThe TED talk: How great leaders inspire action
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
- Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, David Mead and Peter Docker
ifeelfive has no connection to the people named here. This is a short summary in our own words, not their official material, and not medical or therapeutic advice. The links are not affiliate links.
Questions people ask
What is the Golden Circle?
Simon Sinek's model of three circles: why (purpose), how (the way you do it) and what (what you do). He says inspiring leaders communicate from the inside out, starting with why.
When did Simon Sinek give the Start with Why talk?
In September 2009 at TEDxPugetSound. The talk is called "How great leaders inspire action".
What is a why statement?
One sentence in the form "To ___ so that ___": what you contribute to others and the impact you want it to have. The format comes from the book Find Your Why.
Is Start with Why only for business?
No. It started as a leadership idea, but many people use the same question for their own life and career decisions.