In this book, Sinek examines the commonality between companies that continue to thrive based on the loyalty of their customers, regardless of adverse circumstances. Companies with a strong sense of purpose or a deep understanding of their “WHY”, stand the test of time because these companies take time to develop loyalty from their employees and their customers. Today, companies look at price, promotions, fear or aspirations to motivate customers to buy their products. These tactics work in the short term, but “it’s in the tough time that loyal customers matter the most. (pg. 32)” Communicating the “why” is an essential part of extraordinary leadership and building trust with key stakeholders. Customers buy into the “why” of companies because it aligns with their values and beliefs.
My Thoughts
As a young professional, this book made me think about my purpose. WHY is fuel from within us, it does not care or rely on external factors such as fame and money. WHY drives us to focus on the goal and to continue to improve, because there is always something more to achieve. WHY on its own is not enough, it has to be followed by HOW and WHAT that follow the WHY. At a individual level, I believe this book talks about the power of a indestructible purpose (WHY) and the importance of unity your words (HOW) and actions (WHAT) rooted in. The two examples below were some of my favorite cases presented in the book.
Sinek uses Apple to illustrate how a strong sense of WHY can set a company apart and create loyalty. Apple is known for transforming the music industry with the release of an mp3 player, however the company did not invent the mp3 or the technology behind the iPod. Twenty-two months before the release of the iPod, Creative Technology LTD released a very similar device and marketed it as a “5GB mp3 player”, drawing focus to WHAT the product was. When Apple released the iPod almost two years later, they marketed WHY customers needed the product by stating “1,000 songs in your pocket.” This example drove home the importance of WHY. Customers did not understand the need for a 5GB stick, however when framed as a 1,000 songs storage device customers automatically understand why they need the product.
One of my favorite examples from the book was based of the Wright Brothers. During the early 1900s, the Wright Brothers were not the only innovators battling with gravity in the effort to fly. A renowned astronomer, physicists, inventor, and mathematician, Samuel Pierpont Langley was granted with $50,000 dollars to create a flying machine. Langley saw this opportunity as his ticket out and he desired fame and money. Langley was driven by WHAT rather than WHY. On the other hand, the Wright Brothers owned a bicycle shop and used all their profits to fund their passion. “They believed that if they could figure out this flying machine, they would change the world. They imagined the benefits for everyone else if they were successful. (pg. 97)” This example illustrates how a powerful WHY can motivate even when things get tough. Failure after failure, the Wright brothers continued their quest because they were driven by something larger than fame and glory, their sense of WHY.
Regardless of profession, I would highly encourage my peers to read this book. Although the principles are targeted towards marketing professionals, there are several valuable lessons that can be applied to our day to day lives.