Start with why

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo

Actually, I’m summarizing two great books here of Simon Sinek, “Start With Why:  How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Action” and “Find Your Why:  A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team”.  Here’s knowing why your WHY is important.

Great Businesses Start with Why

In 2018, Nike released an ad with the face of the quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, and the caption, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” No product, just Kaepernick’s face and those words.  Nike’s stock fell 3% the day after the ad was released. But over the next week, Nike’s online sales jumped 25%.

Nike made it clear what they believe and what they stand for, and those who believe what Nike believe went out and bought a bunch of Nike products.  Great businesses, like Nike, start by telling you what they stand for, not what they’re selling. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

Great Leaders Start with Why

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did NOT stand in front of 250,000 people in Washington DC and say, “I have a 10‐step plan to end racial segregation in the South.” Dr. King told the crowd about an inspiring vision – his WHY ‐ he was willing to die for: “I dream of a world where little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as sisters and brothers…”

Dr. King motivated thousands of people to join the civil rights movement because he started with inspiration, not instruction.

Finding Your Why

Find your why and you’ll inspire yourself to get out of bed and take on challenging tasks.  Find out your why by completing the blanks in this statement: “My why is to: ___________, so that:__________.”  For example, the why statement of Simon Sinek is “My why is to inspire people to do what inspires them, so that together we can change the world for the better.”  And that of his co-author David Mead, “My why is to propel people forward so that they can make their mark on the world.”  Personally, mine is “My why is to inspire people, so that they can be the best version of themselves both professionally and spiritually.”

Author Simon Sinek found his WHY by asking close friends: “Why do you consider me a good friend?” One friend said, “I can trust you to be there for me,” and “You’re fun to be around.” But Sinek encouraged him to go deeper, and asked, “What is it that makes me a unique friend?”

After a few uncomfortable moments, his friend said something that gave him goosebumps: “When I talk to you, I feel inspired.” Sinek felt a surge of energy and knew he was close to finding his WHY. He thought more about it and experimented with different wording until

he came up with the statement “My WHY is TO inspire people to do what inspires them, SO THAT together we can change the world.” Once Sinek could articulate his WHY, every decision filtered through his WHY. As a result, he shut down his marketing business and started

writing ‘Start with Why’…the rest is history.