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Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action ( Intl Ed) Audiobook
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Plot Summary
Why is it that some organizations and individuals are more powerful, innovational and successful than others? How do some command more loyalty from both their employees and their customers? Among the successful, why are only a few able to duplicate their achievements again and again? Great men like Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr. and The Wright Brothers may not have much in common, but all of them started with why. Their innate talent for starting with why helped them to impress the people around them and to reach lofty goals. By examining the leaders who have exerted the strongest influence on mankind, Simon Sinek found that the all behave, communicate and think in exactly the same manner—much to the contrary of what the rest of us do. Sinek refers to this revolutionary idea as "The Golden Circle," and it provides a foundation on which movements can be led, people inspired, and organizations constructed.
It all begins with why. Any organization can explain what it does. Some can even explain how. Only very few can clearly explain why. Why cannot be explained by profit or money—those are results that occur later. Why does the organization exist? Why does it do what it does? Why do clients choose to do business with one company rather than another? Why do some leaders inspire loyalty, while others fail to do so? Starting with why works for businesses large and small, for nonprofits and for politicians. Those who begin with why need not maneuver--they inspire. People need not be coerced into following them; they choose to. Drawing on a wide range of true stories, Sinek paints a vivid picture of what makes an inspiring leader.
Simon Sinek is an optimist. He teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. From members of Congress to foreign ambassadors, from small businesses to corporations like Microsoft and 3M, from Hollywood to the Pentagon, he has presented his ideas about the power of why. He is quoted frequently by national publications and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and BrandWeek. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action is his first book.
"Book was on the CSAF Reading List, so of course I had to give it a whirl. Definitely meant for any problem solving scenario and/or starting and maintaining a business. Over half the book is looking at Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and what they did with Apple, but there are many other vignettes throughout the book."
— Eric (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their successes over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers might have little in com- mon, but they all started with why. Their natural ability to start with why enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things. In studying the leaders who’ve had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way—and it’s the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY. Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. WHY is not money or profit—those are always results. Why does your organization exist? Why does it do the things it does? Why do customers really buy from one company or another? Why are people loyal to some leaders, but not others? Starting with WHY works in big business and small business, in the nonprofit world and in politics. Those who start with WHY never manipulate, they inspire. And people follow them not because they have to; they follow because they want to. Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories, Sinek weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire. This book is for anyone who wants to inspire others or who wants to find someone to inspire them.
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Start with Why Listener Reviews
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Elizabeth Bailey, 11/17/2021
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Cathie Jensen, 7/9/2021
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Denis Balogh, 7/22/2019
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Dan Lindwe, 7/17/2019
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Travis Wayne, 4/5/2018
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Joey Anderson, 1/11/2018
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" Simon's analysis of a simple Law of The Universe decodifies how we can bridge our behaviour backwards to the reasons we make those behavioural decisions. And finding those reasons can be a practical guide on how to stimulate desired decisions. Very useful! "
— Cheng Y, 9/10/2017 -
" this book is a game changer. A must-have for anyone that wants lasting success and Legacy "
— Kevin Rowe, 6/23/2017 -
" I really enjoyed this book! I know there are some negative reviews but I listened to this while pulling weeds one day and it helped me draft a product ad for a dentist the next day. I recommend it! "
— Jeanie H, 3/11/2017 -
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Victor Sharp, 7/19/2016
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" Watch Simon's TED Talk. If that inspires (and it will) - then this book will inspire you. As for me. I plan to read it again. "
— Paul, 2/20/2014 -
" "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek is an analysis of how visionary leaders are able to cultivate success and others are not by simply communicating the concept of why they believe what they do to draw others who believe the same thing to their cause. I enjoyed the first 65 page or so, but then book seemed to start over and repeat the same thing (using the same examples). I would recommend this book for those who want to experience the concept in the author's TED talk in a different way, but I tend to agree with Loy Machedo's review. "
— Madeline, 2/8/2014 -
" 3.5 stars. Read because I loved his TED Talk on the subject. Interesting stuff. I especially liked the sections where he discussed the limbic brain and its capacity for decision making but not language. We make decisions based on feelings and then try to rationalize and articulate them after the fact. "
— Melissa, 2/3/2014 -
" the information in this book seemed pretty common sense to me, and the examples were a little narrow in focus "
— Jen, 2/2/2014 -
" Good stuff for personal and business. "
— Chad, 1/26/2014 -
" A must for any leader or person looking to add purposeful direction to their life. "
— Mike, 1/23/2014 -
" Not a brilliant book but useful none-the-less. Introduces the idea of going from why to how to what. "
— Graeme, 1/18/2014 -
" Started good but I kind of lost interest at the end. Not sure why? "
— Mualpha, 1/9/2014 -
" Start With Why offers good lessons with good examples that are difficult yet important to do in practice. "
— Gregg, 12/25/2013 -
" The idea is good, if not original. The book was repetitive and ultimately boring. A good reminder though. Check out the TED talk. Much better. "
— Roberta, 12/16/2013 -
" All the stuff my religion teaches me. Nice to see the world catching up. "
— Kari, 11/23/2013 -
" Great book to jump start your thinking process. "
— Topherjaynes, 11/21/2013 -
" Another basic leadership skill stretched out as far as it can go to fill a book. Some solid minor tips in here for team engagement. "
— Ben, 11/17/2013 -
" Amazing book, best business principles on the planet "
— Spencer, 11/8/2013 -
" I thought it was really good. Fits in well with a policy governance board of directors. "
— Debera, 9/27/2013 -
" Builds on TED video. Not much, especially given how many pages it has. But pretty good read. "
— J., 6/4/2013 -
" Primarily just one big concept--"great organizations start with a cause rather than a profit motive"--but very well explained and thought out. "
— Dave, 3/17/2013 -
" brilliant advice and encouragement for your life or your business "
— Cindy, 10/4/2012 -
" Just watch the TED talk. Same stuff, shorter delivery. "
— Luke, 4/15/2012 -
" Goed en makkelijk te lezen boek. Geeft eenvoudig richting aan visie en missie "
— Erik, 10/14/2011 -
" Great concept, but hardly original. Could have been summarized in 20pgs. Vs 200+ "
— Katherine, 8/4/2011 -
" This book has been amazing. It has totally changed the way I think about my business and how I run it. "
— Chantel, 6/6/2011 -
" Great book anyone interested in marketing should read. Great leaders and businesses start with why. "
— Zacho, 4/19/2011 -
" Thought shifting , strategy accelerant for the ambitious few who will do the heavy lifting "
— Scott, 4/1/2011 -
" Good ideas for discussion. I wish Malcolm Gladwell had written it -- the writing and editing isn't as strong here as it could be. "
— Paul, 3/16/2011 -
" I enjoy watching him speak more, but god damn that is probably one of my favourite books. "
— Ryan, 3/10/2011 -
" great book, definitely one i will keep and refer back to often! "
— Marla, 2/16/2011 -
" A bit redundant after a while. The stories or case studies are the best. "
— Jinvanstee, 2/9/2011 -
" A good book about a brilliant idea. I was disappointed that he'd didn't finish the book with some exercises to determine our WHY. <br/><br/>Save yourself some time an watch Simon EXCELLENT TED talk. It's great. "
— Travis, 1/5/2011 -
" Great book to jump start your thinking process. "
— Topherjaynes, 12/1/2010 -
" Amazing. One of my favorite. Exactly what I needed. "
— Jon, 9/29/2010 -
" inspiring book! recommended to anyone interested in why some companies fail and some succeed or in determining how to achieve their potential individually "
— Adam, 5/18/2010
About Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is an optimist, teacher, writer, and worldwide public speaker. His first three books—Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last, and Together Is Better—have been national and international bestsellers. His first TED talk, based on Start with Why, is the third most-viewed TED video of all time. Learn more about his work and how you can inspire those around you at StartWithWhy.com. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and BusinessWeek. His views on business and leadership have allowed him to meet with a with a variety of organizations, including Microsoft, Intel, 3M, the United States military, members of Congress, and multiple government agencies. He teaches graduate classes at Columbia University.