Start With WHY

Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, gives us some insight into leaders around the world, and how they and their followers connect and engage in a meaningful way.

The idea of starting with Why? comes from the concept of the Golden Circle: What, How, and Why. Why takes the center position. Most people start by describing what they do, occasionally telling you how they do it, and rarely why they do it. The concept of the Golden Circle is to start with why—why you do what you do—then a bit about how you do it, and finally what is it you actually do.

What we’ve learned from Sinek’s TED talks and books is that entrepreneurs who start with Why, move to How, and close with What grow at a much faster rate than those who use the What, How, and Why sequence.

It can be hard to open up and be vulnerable, sharing your story or journey. Many garner great appreciation from the outside world when they do. Many times you have to expose wounds and scars that accumulated through your journey.

Think about what you would do if you shared your story, and what could happen if it was shared with more people.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What have you done to engage your followers in a meaningful way?
2. What tools have you used besides the WHY to engage your followers?
3. What recommendations do you have for leaders around the world?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.