1. Why Start With Why
1.1. Start with why is about a naturally occurring pattern in human nature, a way of thinking, acting and communicating that gives some leads the ability to inspire those around them
1.1.1. Countless examples of when a person, company or movement succeeded against the odds because they started with a WHY
1.1.1.1. Wright Brothers
1.1.1.2. Apple
1.1.1.3. Martin Luther King Jr.
1.2. Those who start with why are able to create a following of people and get them to act not because they were swayed but because they were inspired
1.2.1. Happens in all different sectors
1.2.1.1. Public
1.2.1.2. Private
1.2.1.3. Non-Profit
1.2.1.4. B2B
1.2.1.5. B2C
1.3. Over 80% of people say they are not in their dream jobs
1.3.1. Learning to build an organization for WHY can help inspire these people leading too
1.3.1.1. Creating loyal employees
1.3.1.2. Creating a shared vision in the organization
1.3.1.2.1. Creating more innovation
1.3.1.2.2. Creating more profit
1.3.1.2.3. Creating sustainable businesses
1.3.1.3. Creating loyal customers
2. A World That Doesn't Start With Why
2.1. Assume You Know
2.1.1. Behavior is affected by our assumptions or our perceived truths; we make decisions based on what we think we know
2.1.2. Automakers example
2.1.2.1. American automakers use a rubber mallet to hit doors into place at the end of the assembly line
2.1.2.1.1. These automakers started with the assumption that their doors would need tapped to ensure quality
2.1.2.1.2. This is a symptom of a bigger problem of reacting to a problem instead of starting with a bigger picture of creating a product that doesn't need reacting too in the first place
2.1.2.2. Japanese automakers engineer those doors to work perfectly without having to hit them with a hammer
2.1.2.2.1. These automakers started with the assumption that their doors would need to fit perfectly to avoid needing an extra employee and a hammer
2.1.2.2.2. Extrapolated out the hundreds or thousands of times this assumption plays out in their business these automakers saved time, money and set themselves up for success with one simple change further ahead in the chain
2.2. Carrots and Sticks
2.2.1. Most businesses have no clue why their customers are their customers or their employees are there employees
2.2.1.1. They are making assumptions based on an incomplete set of information
2.2.1.2. Or even worse they are making assumptions based on information that is completely flawed
2.2.2. There are only two ways to motivate someone to become a customer or employee
2.2.2.1. Manipulation
2.2.2.1.1. Run rampant in all forms of sales and marketing mostly because businesses become reliant on them
2.2.2.1.2. Can include
2.2.2.1.3. Don't breed loyalty and actually train customers and employees to look at you for your "manipulations" instead of trust you
2.2.2.2. Inspiration
2.2.2.2.1. (The rest of the book is based on learning about how to inspire customers, followers and employees)
3. Alternative Perspective
3.1. The Golden Circle
3.1.1. Finds order and predictability in human behavior; put simply it helps us understand why we do what we do
3.1.2. The Circle
3.1.2.1. WHY
3.1.2.1.1. Centre Circle
3.1.2.1.2. What is your purpose cause or belief?
3.1.2.1.3. Why does your company exist?
3.1.2.1.4. Why should anyone care?
3.1.2.2. HOW
3.1.2.2.1. Middle Ring
3.1.2.2.2. How you do what you do
3.1.2.3. WHAT
3.1.2.3.1. Outer Ring
3.1.2.3.2. Products or services that your company sells
3.1.2.3.3. What do you deliver to your customer?
3.1.2.4. People don't buy WHAT you do they buy WHY you do it
3.1.2.4.1. Knowing your why isn't the only way to be successful sometimes you have a first movers advantage or something similar; but history shows us that knowing your WHY is the only way to create lasting success
3.1.2.4.2. Instead of asking WHAT should we do to compete; trying asking WHY did we get started in the first place and WHAT can we do to bring our cause to life given current technologies and opportunities
3.2. This is Not Opinion it's Biology
3.2.1. When human beings feel a sense of belonging we feel connected and safe; we crave that feeling and seek it out
3.2.1.1. Because of our natural need to belong we have a sense for when things don't belong; we get a feeling that something isn't right before we even look at the WHAT of the company
3.2.1.2. Because of our natural need to belong we are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at articulating what they believe
3.2.1.2.1. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us
3.2.1.2.2. Look at Apple; they arguably are the best in the world at this
3.2.2. WHY and HOW
3.2.2.1. Relates to your limbic brain
3.2.2.1.1. "Gut Descisions"
3.2.2.1.2. Older part of brain
3.2.2.1.3. If something doesn't feel right it happens here and doesn't even move into the neocortex
3.2.2.1.4. Trust and Loyalty
3.2.3. WHAT
3.2.3.1. Relates to Your Neocortex
3.2.3.1.1. Responsible for rational and analytical thought and language
3.2.3.1.2. Doesn't matter if people don't feel safe with your company
3.3. Clarity, Discipline and Consistency
3.3.1. Clarity of WHY
3.3.1.1. Everything start with clarity of WHY
3.3.1.2. How can you expect people to buy, vote or follow you if your can't tell them WHY they should?
3.3.1.3. Manipulates can motivate an outcome but they can't get people to willingly follow you
3.3.1.3.1. Most success requires that you build a loyal following
3.3.1.3.2. Inspiring loyalty starts with clarity of WHY
3.3.2. Discipline of HOW
3.3.2.1. HOW we do things manifests in the systems and processes we create within our organizations
3.3.2.2. Ironically the WHY (which is the most important part of the equation) is actually easier to answer than the HOW
3.3.2.2.1. HOW requires discipline to never veer from your cause, to hold yourself accountable to how you do things is the hardest part
3.3.2.3. HOW isn't a NOUN it's a VERB
3.3.2.3.1. HOW as a NOUN
3.3.2.3.2. HOW as a VERB
3.3.3. Consistency of WHAT
3.3.3.1. Everything you do and say has to prove what you believe in order to connect with your following
3.3.3.1.1. This looks like authenticity when practiced in the real world
4. How to Rally Those Who Believe
4.1. Start With WHY But Know HOW
4.1.1. Energy Excites Charisma Inspires
4.1.1.1. Energy
4.1.1.1.1. Motivating
4.1.1.1.2. Easy to see, measure and copy
4.1.1.1.3. Not useful for long term growth
4.1.1.2. Charisma
4.1.1.2.1. Hard or impossible to measure and copy but you know it when you see it (Gut feeling)
4.1.1.2.2. Charisma has nothing to do with energy it comes from a very clear sense of WHY
4.1.2. The Golden Hierarchy
4.1.2.1. The Golden Circle is really just a top view of the Golden Hierarchy which is shaped like a cone WHY at the Top, HOW in the middle and WHAT as the base
4.1.2.1.1. This is an easy way to show how the golden circle works in larger organizations
4.1.2.2. WHY (TOP)
4.1.2.2.1. CEO
4.1.2.2.2. Leader
4.1.2.2.3. Lives and embodies the WHY and uses charisma to motivate the people who live in the HOW
4.1.2.2.4. *VERY few people are really WHY people and living from a sense of higher purpose; most are living in the HOW dimension even if they are in the top of the hierarchy in their particular organization
4.1.2.3. HOW (MIDDLE)
4.1.2.3.1. Senior Executives
4.1.2.3.2. Inspired by the leaders vision and get to work at bringing it to life using their skills
4.1.2.3.3. WHY is just a belief and HOW are the actions we take to make the belief possible
4.1.2.4. WHAT (BOTTOM)
4.1.2.4.1. Majority of Employees
4.1.2.4.2. This is where all the tangible stuff actually happens; products are made, services are rendered and etc
4.1.2.4.3. Must be in congruence with the WHY level which is only accomplished by the HOW systems and processes being in place
4.1.2.5. Those who know WHY need people who know HOW and can do the WHAT
4.2. Know WHY, Know HOW, Now What?
4.2.1. What you do changes over time as the markets, technology and opportunities do but your WHY never does and your WHAT's must always be authentic to your WHY
4.2.2. People don't buy WHAT you do they buy WHY you do it but it's all happening at the WHAT level
4.2.2.1. All things happening at the WHAT level must clearly represent WHY the company exists
4.2.2.2. We create things; products and services for people who believe what we believe and if we continue to do that and communicate it clearly we will always have an audience
5. Discover Why
5.1. The Origins of WHY
5.1.1. WHY doesn't come from looking into the future WHY comes from looking back at your past
5.1.1.1. Doesn't come from market research
5.1.1.2. Doesn't come from interviews
5.1.2. Look back and find WHY you started doing what you're doing now
5.1.2.1. Potentially helpful questions not in the book
5.1.2.1.1. Why did I start doing what I'm doing now?
5.1.2.1.2. What has helped me in the past?
5.1.2.1.3. Who do I want to help and how do I connect to them?
5.1.2.2. Finding WHY isn't really the hard part.. Often it's getting rid of a lot of the WHAT that you've piled on top of your WHY
5.2. The New Competition
5.2.1. When you compete against everyone else no one wants to help you
5.2.2. When you compete against yourself everyone else is on your side and wants to help
5.2.3. *Don't compete with your competition on the HOW and the WHAT before the people you want to work with know your WHY because after they know your WHY (if they connect with it) they will want to help you too
5.2.3.1. They may even be willing to pay a higher price, endure a burden the other company wouldn't have to put them through or etc. Like people do with a lot of the companies mentioned in this book
5.2.3.1.1. Apple
5.2.3.1.2. Harley
5.2.3.1.3. Southwest Airlines