Strategic Discipline Blog

How the man, Simon Sinek, developed the concept of the Golden Circle, and Start with Why, is helpful in recognizing its value.

Origin of Why

When our life is a struggle, or it feels like there’s always a new hiccup to prevent us from getting ahead, it is easy to become discouraged.

Oddly enough this is often when most breakthroughs occur. Watch this video interview of Simon Sinek’s the Origin of Why

There are a lot of lessons within this 5-minute video, however, there is no denying the value of discovering your WHY.

In my first coaching business, Michael Gerber, went to great lengths to discover the owner’s why, which he called Your Primary Aim. I can see a lot of Gerber’s efforts to discover this in Sinek’s interview. I always felt it was the most important thing I did with my customers, and I truly enjoyed helping my customers discover their way through this process.

How Simon Sinek Discovered the Golden Circle

Why, what, how was the original order of Sinek’s Golden Circle. A neuroscientist Sinek sought out made him realize the proper order was Why, How, What. Dr. Peter Whybrow, the neuroscientist, shared how humans make decisions.

It’s why Sales works, why relationships work, it’s why all things work because it’s how people work.

If this is how all humans make decisions, doesn’t it make sense to add this formula for why your business exists, and why your people should work for you?

If you’re still struggling to understand why your business needs a Core Purpose perhaps these quotes might help:

“People want to work for a cause, not just for a living. When there is alignment between the cause of the firm and the cause of its people, move over—because there will be extraordinary performance.”

• William Pollard, author The Soul of the Firm

 “..business needs a lifting purpose greater than the struggle for

materialism.”

-           Herbert Hoover

 "Without a compelling cause, our employees are just putting in time. Their minds might be engaged, but their hearts are not. Meaning precedes motivation."

-- Lee J. Colan

Core Purpose – The Golden Circle

This 5-minute video should inspire you. It should help you realize the value of having your people inspired.

“People don’t by what you do, they buy why you do it” The greatest companies on the planet do this. Apple, Google, Amazon, are just a few.

A business with a great strategy can win short term, however without people who are inspired, a culture united, its differentiating strategy will not be carried out.

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

— Patrick Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable)

Follow the steps Sinek shares in the Golden Circle. Hone this into what is true for you and your business. Don’t just attack this half-heartedly. Culture, passion, and a team who purposely does their work will always win.

If you’re suffering from a great resignation, discover your WHY. Why does your business exist?

Investing a significant amount of energy into this will help you find the right people who are excited about working for you. It will significantly multiply any amount of time or money you invest in ads or recruiting efforts.

As a broadcaster, I wrote ads for 20+ years for my customers. The ads that worked were compelling because they provided a why and brought emotion to the listener. Your Why is the reason people will want to work for you. Shouldn’t you find it now?

To create an environment where everyone is inspired to give their best, contact Positioning Systems today to schedule a free exploratory meeting.

Growth demands Strategic Discipline.

Building an enduring great organization requires disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action, superior results, producing a distinctive impact in the world.

Discipline sustains momentum, over a long period of time, laying the foundations for lasting endurance.

A winning habit starts with 3 Strategic Disciplines: Priority, Metrics, and Meeting Rhythms.   Forecasting, accountability, individual, and team performance improve dramatically.

Meeting Rhythms achieve a disciplined focus on performance metrics to drive growth.

Let Positioning Systems help your business achieve these outcomes on the Four most Important Decisions your business faces:

Positioning Systems helps mid-sized ($5M - $250M) business Scale-UP. We align your business to focus on Your One Thing! Contact dwick@positioningsystems.com to Scale Up your business! Take our Four Decisions Needs Assessment to discover how your business measures against other Scaled Up companies. We’ll contact you.

NEXT BLOG – Customer Service Emails

Email isn’t the communication vehicle it was when it started. Indeed many of us get too many and quickly discard them. Next week, guest writer, Emily Henry, shares some tips on how to build a “feeling” customer service email.