Great leaders are able to inspire people to act with a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentives or benefits to be gained. Inspired employees make stronger companies and stronger economies. Assumptions affect our behavior and we make decisions based on what we know. The dance between Gut and rational decision-making pretty much covers how we conduct business and live our life. There are two ways to influence human behavior – Manipulate it or Inspire. When fear is employed, facts are incidentally deeply seated in our biological drive to survive, that emotion cannot be quickly wiped away with facts and figures.
The book “Start with Why” is about applying logic to inspire and decision making using a concept called Golden Circle and validating this through celery test for check for the balance.
The Golden Circle: provides insights into how great organizations are systematized through KNOW – WHY KNOW – HOW, THEN WHAT. The golden circle shows how leaders are able to inspire actions instead of manipulating people to act. It starts from Inside out with WHY moving inward WHAT bounded by HOW. When we are inspired, the decisions we make have more to do with who we are and less to do with companies in products were buying. WHY: The power of Why is not an option. Starting from Why defines clarity to inspire. Why do they it is something deeper? Why is just a belief and if we don’t know WHY we can’t know HOW? The ability to puts why in words provides the emotional context for decision-making. When motivated by Why success happens. In any organization – The top Leader(CEO) represents the WHY. A clear sense of why sets expectations. The why exists in the part of the brain that controls feelings and decision making but not language. Why defines the founding purpose, cause, or belief. Why comes from looking back, finding WHY is discovery, not invention. All organization starts with WHY, but only the great ones keep their why clear year after year. WHY- types are optimists and see things another cant. They are visionary and see how they think the world should be. HOW: How are the values or principles that guide the cause of life. It is the discipline. How we do things are manifests in systems and processes within the organization and culture. Understanding the HOW gives greater ability. How are actions? Senior executives in the organization represent How. These are the small group of people who will build the infrastructure that can make WHY tangible. How – types are more in the here and now. They’re more rational and get things done. WHAT: What are the results of action(How). It is proof of the consistency of doing how. What doesn’t drive decision making, what should be used as proof why. The rational offers proof for the feeling of why. What is the level where the majority of the employees are placed in the organization? What exists is the part of the brain that controls rational thinking and language. What comes first and all their systems and processes are in pursuit of those tangible results. What gets measured, Get Done. Law of Diffusion: Mass market success can only be achieved after penetrating between 15 to 18% of the market. Celery test: Appling to find out exactly WHAT and HOW is consistent with WHY metaphor is known as celery test. Decision-making needs to pass the celery test, especially in Hiring, Partnership, strategies, and tactics. Bottom-line:
Although the author starts with inspiring and fact-based concepts making it inspiring to read. As you move, it is more about the culture of Apple – at times it’s more Gyan. Would suggest watch the videos or listen to a podcast and then reading this book will help in quick conceptualization.