5 Simon Sinek and Why
Simon Sinek and why
Reasoning and critical thinking are essential in your roles and in the Army more generally. This lesson helps you to think about the Why of your actions and it really works to keep you focused on purpose. Important work, whether it is about an issue, a problem or some specific situation, need a Why. Why’s bring clarity. A Why helps you to create meaning and relevance. It helps to inspire those around you to get on board with your initiative. As you work your way through this topic you will see that when you start with your Why and you carry it through your work, others tend to be more engaged as well.
Simon Sinek is the author of Start With Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action.
To help you with your understanding of the power of this approach, here are some more details about the Why, How and What.
Please read these in preparation for the Why How What exercise after the reading. You would have noted from the title of his book that it is partly aimed at leaders. We want you to remember that even if you are not formally in a leadership role this approach is useful to you and to others, to help you to make sense of what you are doing. If you are developing a new idea or you are setting out to influence and inspire others to action, then the Why, How, What is likely to focus your efforts.
Sinek uses the Golden Circle (pictured below) to suggest that the power of his approach comes from the WHY of his concept which then radiates out and influences the How and What. The Circle also helps us to remember the sequence of the Why How What process.
By creating a Why for a project or change, you are aiming to inspire people to act. When you inspire it gives people a sense of purpose or belonging. This is not so much about external motivation or requiring someone to act. It helps to create a desire to participate, follow or act. It becomes a personal commitment.
When we aspire to something or want to participate, it becomes an appeal to our emotion. Emotion, especially when it comes to safeguarding our families, colleagues, teams and our place of work, doing something with purpose, is powerful and universal.
Authenticity
Sinek says that it is at the What level that authenticity happens. Authenticity comes from consistency. Authenticity shows up when the Why makes the purpose clear and there is discipline to the How. Finally, the What needs to be consistent with the Why. Everything makes sense. You and others can see and experience the fit between these three elements. Simon Sinek says that authenticity comes from balance, the balance of Why, How, What.
The Golden Circle shows how this balance works. The circles need to ‘fit’ and the order is crucial: Why, How, What.
You have to know WHY you do WHAT you do. If people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it, so it follows that if you don’t know WHY you do WHAT you do how will anyone else.
Simon Sinek2
Many of Sinek’s examples are in the commercial space and are about motivating consumers or employees. In this unit, the ‘Why, How, What’ approach would be about inspiring your Army colleagues to believe in and adopt your innovation for example. Your ‘why’ would be very much for the good of your teams and the Army. However, the likelihood of success is still enhanced by a very powerful and inspiring reason.
There is much written about Sinek’s ideas and the Golden Circle if you want to investigate further, including in other units in the Cove+ series.
Activity
Refer to your notes from the activity you completed in the previous topic: The principles of good thinking in the Army.
Now we want you to look at the activity with a different ‘lens’.
Action: Review your notes about the phase two principles of depth, breadth, logic, significance, and fairness. They all helped you to investigate the reasoning and critical thinking of the activity.
Action: Now we want you to explore the Why of the activity. What is it that will inspire others to participate in a meaningful way, other than of course, it is likely to be a requirement?
Write the Why. Keep the Why to three sentences at the most.
Action: Continue to write the How and What of your activity. Use the Golden Circle template or use your Reflective Journal.
Action: Review your Why, How, What. Find a colleague who isn’t or hasn’t been involved in the activity. Share the activity description. Allow time for questions.
Now share your Why, How, What. Ask for feedback. You are really interested in knowing how effectively the meaning of the activity was conveyed and how inspired the listener was by your Why, How, What pitch.
Action: Record your observations and ‘what next’ in your Reflective Journal. Make a note about how you could use this process in other situations.
References
- Sinek, S. (2009). Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Penguin.
- Ibid. p. 66.
Simon Sinek and Why [there are two versions here. no images]
Reasoning and critical thinking are essential in your roles and in the Army. Also important is the why of the issue, problem or situation. Many of you are familiar with Simon Sinek’s work. He is a proponent of the Why, How, What thinking. His approach will really help you to create meaning and relevance.
Here are details about the Why, How and What. Please read these in preparation for the Why How What exercise after the reading. The Why What How approach is very useful when you need to inspire yourself and those around you to get on board your initiative, when change is part of the issues, or when the issue is complex. There are other situations when you will be able to effectively use this approach.
Your reasoning and critical thinking must be sound. The most important element that Why How What adds is meaning.
WHY
By creating a ‘why’ for a project or change, we are aiming to inspire people to act. Being able to inspire gives people a sense of purpose or belonging. This has less to do with external motivation or requiring someone to act. The desire to participant, follow or act is a personal commitment. Aspiration appeals to our emotion. Emotion, especially when it comes to safeguarding our families, colleagues, teams and context, is powerful and universal.
HOW
Knowing the Why helps you know and understand the rest. The next question is How are you going to do it? The How relates to the principles and values that guide HOW you can bring things to life. Understanding the How of how things get down in the organisation and also holding people accountable to the guiding principles helps you to work to get things done.
WHAT
Why is the belief and inspiration.
How is about the actions that you need to take to make the belief happen.
What is about the results of those actions. These include the outcomes of your actions, the way you communicate, the stories you tell, to make sure that the WHY and the WHAT are consistent.
Sinek says that it is at the WHAT level that authenticity happens. For him, consistency is that there is balance. The Golden Circle says that there must be balance. The circles need to ‘fit’ and the order if crucial: Why, How, What.
Quote2 “You have to know WHY you do WHAT you do. If people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it, so it follows that if you don’t know WHY you do WHAT you do how will anyone else” Page 66
Many of Sinek’s examples are in the commercial space and are about motivating consumers or employees. In this unit, the ‘Why, How, What’ approach would be about inspiring your Army colleagues to believe in and adopt your innovation for example. Your ‘why’ would be very much for the good of your teams and the Army. However, the likelihood of success is still enhanced by a very powerful and inspiring reason.
Sinek uses the Golder Circle to suggest that the power of the approach comes from the Why which then radiates out and influences the How and What. The Circle also helps us to remember the sequence of the Why How What process.
<insert ppt>
Figure: The Golden Circle [create a template that can be used]
There is much written about Sinek’s ideas and the Golden Circle if you want to investigate further, including in other units in the Cove+ series.
Activity
Refer to the activity you used in a previous activity where you applied the principles of sound reasoning and critical thinking to a key activity in your role.
Now we want you to look at the activity with a different ‘lens’.
Action: Review your notes about the Stage 2 principles of Depth, Breadth, Logic, Significance and Fairness. There all helped you to investigate the reasoning and critical thinking of the activity.
Action. Now we want you to explore the WHY of the activity. What is it that will inspire others to participate in a meaningful way, other than of course it is likely to be a requirement?
Write the WHY. Keep the Why to 3 sentences at the most.
Action: Continue to write the How and What of your activity. Use the Golden Circle template or use your Reflective Journal.
Action: Review your Why How What. Find a colleague who isn’t or hasn’t been involved in the activity. Share the activity description. Allow time for questions.
Now share your Why How What. Ask for feedback. You are really interesting in knowing how effectively the meaning of the activity was conveyed and how inspired the listener was by your Why How What pitch.
Action: Record your observations and ‘what next’ in your Reflective Journal. Make a note about how you could use this process in other situations.
Version 2
no images
The Why, The Facts and Small Things
Lesson 6 Simon Sinek and Why1
Reasoning and critical thinking are essential in your roles and in the Army. Also important is the why of the issue, problem or situation. Many of you are familiar with Simon Sinek’s work. He is a proponent of the Why, How, What thinking. His approach will really help you to create meaning and relevance.
Here are details about the Why, How and What. Please read these in preparation for the Why How What exercise after the reading. The Why What How approach is very useful when you need to inspire yourself and those around you to get on board your initiative, when change is part of the issues, or when the issue is complex. There are other situations when you will be able to effectively use this approach.
Your reasoning and critical thinking must be sound. The most important element that Why How What adds is meaning.
WHY
By creating a ‘why’ for a project or change, we are aiming to inspire people to act. Being able to inspire gives people a sense of purpose or belonging. This has less to do with external motivation or requiring someone to act. The desire to participant, follow or act is a personal commitment. Aspiration appeals to our emotion. Emotion, especially when it comes to safeguarding our families, colleagues, teams and context, is powerful and universal.
HOW
Knowing the Why helps you know and understand the rest. The next question is How are you going to do it? The How relates to the principles and values that guide HOW you can bring things to life. Understanding the How of how things get down in the organisation and also holding people accountable to the guiding principles helps you to work to get things done.
WHAT
Why is the belief and inspiration.
How is about the actions that you need to take to make the belief happen.
What is about the results of those actions. These include the outcomes of your actions, the way you communicate, the stories you tell, to make sure that the WHY and the WHAT are consistent.
Sinek says that it is at the WHAT level that authenticity happens. For him, consistency is that there is balance. The Golden Circle says that there must be balance. The circles need to ‘fit’ and the order if crucial: Why, How, What.
Quote2 “You have to know WHY you do WHAT you do. If people don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it, so it follows that if you don’t know WHY you do WHAT you do how will anyone else” Page 66
Many of Sinek’s examples are in the commercial space and are about motivating consumers or employees. In this unit, the ‘Why, How, What’ approach would be about inspiring your Army colleagues to believe in and adopt your innovation for example. Your ‘why’ would be very much for the good of your teams and the Army. However, the likelihood of success is still enhanced by a very powerful and inspiring reason.
Sinek uses the Golder Circle to suggest that the power of the approach comes from the Why which then radiates out and influences the How and What. The Circle also helps us to remember the sequence of the Why How What process.
Figure: The Golden Circle [create a template that can be used]
There is much written about Sinek’s ideas and the Golden Circle if you want to investigate further, including in other units in the Cove+ series.
Activity
Refer to the activity you used in a previous activity where you applied the principles of sound reasoning and critical thinking to a key activity in your role.
Now we want you to look at the activity with a different ‘lens’.
Action: Review your notes about the Stage 2 principles of Depth, Breadth, Logic, Significance and Fairness. There all helped you to investigate the reasoning and critical thinking of the activity.
Action. Now we want you to explore the WHY of the activity. What is it that will inspire others to participate in a meaningful way, other than of course it is likely to be a requirement?
Write the WHY. Keep the Why to 3 sentences at the most.
Action: Continue to write the How and What of your activity. Use the Golden Circle template or use your Reflective Journal.
Action: Review your Why How What. Find a colleague who isn’t or hasn’t been involved in the activity. Share the activity description. Allow time for questions.
Now share your Why How What. Ask for feedback. You are really interested in knowing how effectively the meaning of the activity was conveyed and how inspired the listener was by your Why How What pitch.
Action: Record your observations and ‘what next’ in your Reflective Journal. Make a note about how you could use this process in other situations.
