Simon Sinek

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

Build Trust through Consistency

Ensure that your actions consistently reflect your core values and beliefs. Trust and loyalty are built over time through consistent behavior that aligns with your WHY. Avoid manipulative tactics and focus on genuine, value-driven actions.

Hire for Cultural Fit

Focus on recruiting individuals who share your company's core beliefs and values. This alignment will foster a sense of belonging and purpose, leading to higher productivity and loyalty.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.

Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.

When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.

Use Symbols Effectively

Develop and use symbols that clearly represent the organization's values and beliefs. Consistent use of these symbols can reinforce the organization's message and inspire loyalty.

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.

Price always costs something. The question is, how much are you willing to pay for the money you make?

Loyalty is when people are willing to turn down a better product or a better price to continue doing business with you.

If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.

If you sell what you do, you’re a vendor. If you sell why you do it, you’re a brand.

We fall in love with someone when they show us, consistently, that they’re willing to put our needs ahead of their own.

Progress is more important than perfection.

What you do is proof of what you believe.

Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating.

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.

Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.

Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it. Read more at: https://minimalistquotes.com/quotes-by/simon-sinek/

Manipulations work, but they cost money. Lots of money.

Knowing WHY is essential for lasting success and the ability to avoid being lumped in with others.

Our need to belong is not rational, but it is a constant that exists across all people in all cultures.

The power of WHY is not opinion, it’s biology.

For a message to have real impact, to affect behavior and seed loyalty, it needs more than publicity. It needs to publicize some higher purpose, cause or belief.

Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of WHY.

The goal of business then should not be to simply sell to anyone who wants what you have... but rather to find people who believe what you believe.

When people inside the company know WHY they come to work, people outside the company are vastly more likely to understand WHY the company is special.

Empowering the individual spirit is WHY Apple exists. Apple knows their WHY and so do we.

The leader’s job is no longer to close all the deals; it is to inspire.

Simply ensuring that WHAT you do proves what you believe makes it easy for those who believe what you believe to find you.

Start with WHY

Simon Sinek emphasizes that great leaders and organizations begin by identifying and communicating their core purpose, or 'WHY.' This foundational idea sets them apart and inspires others. For example, the Wright brothers succeeded in achieving the first manned flight because they were driven by a profound sense of purpose, unlike their competitor Samuel Pierpont Langley, who was motivated by personal gain. Sinek's key message is, 'People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.'

The Golden Circle

Sinek introduces the concept of the Golden Circle, which consists of three layers: WHY, HOW, and WHAT. Most organizations operate from the outside in, starting with WHAT they do, then HOW they do it, and finally, if at all, WHY they do it. However, inspired leaders and organizations operate from the inside out. This approach aligns with human biology, as the part of the brain that controls decision-making is also responsible for feelings and is not capable of language. Therefore, when organizations communicate from the inside out, they speak directly to the part of the brain that drives behavior.

Trust and Loyalty

Trust and loyalty are crucial for long-term success and are built when organizations consistently act in alignment with their WHY. Sinek uses Apple as an example, which has consistently challenged the status quo and inspired loyalty among its customers and employees by staying True to its core belief in innovation and simplicity. This trust is not built through manipulative tactics like discounts or promotions but through genuine and consistent actions that reflect the organization's values.

Manipulation vs. Inspiration

Most businesses rely heavily on manipulations—such as price drops, promotions, fear, peer pressure, and novelty—to drive sales and influence behavior. These tactics, while effective in the short term, do not foster loyalty. True loyalty comes from inspiration, not manipulation. Companies that understand why their customers are their customers and why their employees are their employees are better positioned to inspire loyalty and long-term commitment.

The Role of Leadership

Effective leadership is about inspiring others through a clear vision and purpose. Sinek explains that leaders must focus on ensuring that their team understands and believes in the WHY, and that they know HOW to bring it to life. This shift is crucial because the leader becomes physically removed from the day-to-day operations and the outside market. The leader's job is to inspire and ensure that the organization's actions and communications are aligned with its core beliefs.

The Law of Diffusion of Innovations

Sinek explains the Law of Diffusion of Innovations to highlight how ideas and products spread through society. He categorizes the population into five segments: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. For a product or idea to achieve mass-market success, it must first appeal to the early adopters, who are willing to take risks and see the potential in new ideas. By focusing on these early adopters, companies can create a tipping point for broader market adoption.

The Celery Test

The Celery Test is a metaphor for making decisions that are consistent with an organization's WHY. Sinek explains that organizations often look to others for best practices, but what works for one may not work for another. The Celery Test helps filter decisions through the organization's core beliefs. For example, if an organization's WHY is to promote health, it would choose celery and rice milk over M&Ms and Oreos, regardless of external advice. This approach ensures that all actions and decisions are aligned with the organization's values.

Identify Your WHY

Reflect on your core purpose or belief that drives you. This is not about what you do or how you do it, but why you do it. Understanding and articulating your WHY can help align your actions and inspire others.

Communicate from the Inside Out

When presenting ideas or products, start with WHY you are doing it, then explain HOW you will achieve it, and finally, WHAT you are offering. This approach resonates more deeply with people and can inspire action.

To live our lives with an infinite mindset is to live a life of service.

Adopt an Infinite Mindset for Enduring Success

Simon Sinek emphasizes the transformative power of adopting an infinite mindset in leadership and business. Unlike finite games with fixed rules and clear endpoints, the infinite game is ongoing, with the goal of perpetuating the game itself. Leaders who embrace this mindset prioritize long-term purpose over short-term victories. For example, Sinek contrasts Apple and Microsoft: while Microsoft focused on outperforming competitors (finite thinking), Apple concentrated on advancing their vision to empower individuals through technology (infinite thinking). This shift in perspective fosters innovation, resilience, and lasting success. As Sinek notes, playing the infinite game means focusing on 'how to stay in the game.'

Define and Pursue a Just Cause

A Just Cause is a specific, inclusive, and service-oriented vision of the future that inspires people to dedicate their energies toward its realization. It acts as a north star for organizations, providing meaning beyond profits. Sinek illustrates this with the story of the Leningrad seed bank scientists who protected valuable seeds during wartime, sacrificing their lives for a cause greater than themselves. By defining a Just Cause, like advancing sustainable practices or empowering consumers, organizations galvanize employees and stakeholders around a shared purpose that drives sustained commitment and progress.

Build Trusting Teams for Optimal Performance

Trusting Teams are environments where individuals feel safe to express themselves without fear of humiliation or punishment. Sinek highlights how psychological safety enables openness, collaboration, and innovation. In the example of the Shell URSA oil platform, leadership cultivated trust by encouraging vulnerability, leading to record-breaking performance and safety standards. When team members trust one another, they are more likely to admit mistakes, ask for help, and take responsible risks, all of which enhance overall performance. 'Trust is built on vulnerability and openness,' Sinek explains.

See Competitors as Worthy Rivals to Foster Growth

Viewing competitors as Worthy Rivals rather than enemies shifts the focus from winning to self-improvement. Recognizing the strengths of others highlights areas for personal and organizational growth. Sinek shares his experience with fellow author Adam Grant, whose work inspired Sinek to acknowledge his own weaknesses and strive to improve. This perspective encourages learning and adaptability. For instance, Apple's acknowledgment of IBM in the 'Welcome, IBM. Seriously' ad campaign reflected respect and a drive to innovate, rather than simply outdo a competitor.

Embrace Existential Flexibility for Long-Term Relevance

Existential Flexibility is the willingness to make profound strategic shifts to advance your Just Cause, even if it threatens your current success. Steve Jobs exemplified this when he pivoted Apple toward graphic user interfaces after visiting Xerox PARC, despite the potential risk to existing products. This proactive approach contrasts with Kodak's failure to adapt to digital photography, leading to their decline. Sinek stresses that such flexibility requires courage and a deep commitment to purpose over profit, ensuring the organization remains relevant in a changing world.

Prioritize Will Over Resources by Valuing People

People are the true drivers of an organization's success. Sinek argues that fostering the 'will' of employees—through care, support, and shared purpose—is more valuable than accumulating resources. Companies like The Container Store invest in employee development and well-being, resulting in high engagement and performance. When leaders prioritize their people, it cultivates loyalty, innovation, and discretionary effort. 'Money can't buy will; it comes from feeling valued,' Sinek notes, highlighting the importance of intrinsic motivation.

Lead with Courage to Uphold the Infinite Mindset

Adopting an infinite mindset often challenges conventional, short-term focused norms, requiring courage from leaders. Doug Parker of American Airlines demonstrated this by prioritizing employee trust over immediate profits, even when facing criticism from Wall Street. He invested in wage increases and improved working conditions, fostering loyalty and long-term success. Leading with courage means making principled decisions that align with the Just Cause, even when they are not the easiest or most popular choices. It is about committing to values and the well-being of all stakeholders over fleeting gains.

Articulate Your Just Cause

Clearly define a compelling vision that inspires and guides your organization beyond short-term objectives.

Foster a Culture of Trust

Create an environment where team members feel safe to express themselves, encouraging openness and collaboration.

Embrace Competitors as Partners in Growth

View your competitors as Worthy Rivals to learn from, helping you identify areas for improvement and innovation.

Be Willing to Pivot Strategically

Practice Existential Flexibility by remaining open to significant changes that advance your Just Cause, even if it challenges current successes.

Lead with Courage and Integrity

Make decisions that align with your long-term vision and values, prioritizing people and purpose over short-term gains.

There is no such thing as 'winning' an infinite game. In an infinite game, the primary objective is to keep playing.

Finite players play to win; infinite players play to keep playing.

Great leaders set up their organizations to succeed beyond their own lifetimes.

The goal is not to win, but to keep playing. It is to advance something bigger than ourselves or our organizations.

A Just Cause is about the future. It defines where we are going. It describes the world we hope to live in and will commit to help build.

Money is the fuel to advance a Cause, it is not a Cause itself.

Infinite-minded leaders understand that 'best' is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be 'better.

It is not technology that explains failure; it is less about technology, per se, and more about the leaders' failure to envision the future.

The responsibility of business is to advance a cause greater than itself, protect the people and places in which it operates, and generate more resources so that it can continue doing all those things for as long as possible.

Money can't buy true will.

Trust is the stacking and layering of small moments and reciprocal vulnerability over time.

To build high-performing teams, trust comes before the performance.

Leaders are not responsible for the results; leaders are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results.

Ethical fading is not an event... it's more like an infection that festers over time.

If ethical fading is powered by self-deception, maintaining ethical behavior demands complete honesty and constant self-assessment.

Competitors compete for customers. Rivals look for followers.

Without a Worthy Rival, we risk losing our humility and our agility.

Finite strategies never last.

When an Existential Flex happens, it is clear to all those who believe in the Cause why it has to happen.

Leading with WHY has a deeper, more emotional and ultimately more influential value.

Because how we feel about something or someone is more powerful than what we think about it or them.

Happiness comes from what we do. Fulfillment comes from why we do it.

Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.

Leaders of successful organizations, if they wish to innovate or command loyalty and love from their people, must reframe the struggles their companies face not in absolute terms but in terms relative to their success. In other words, the dangers and opportunities that exist outside the Circle of Safety should be exaggerated to suit the size of the organization itself.

Leadership is about taking responsibility for lives and not numbers. Managers look after our numbers and our results and leaders look after us.

All leaders, in order to truly lead, need to walk the halls and spend time with the people they serve, “eyeball leadership,” as the Marines call it.

Even though he knew he would have to rely more on his crew to fill the gaps in his knowledge, Captain Marquet kept that fact to himself. His technical knowledge was the basis of his leadership authority and with that gone, he, like many leaders, worried he would lose the respect of his crew. As it turns out, old habits die hard. Instead of asking questions to help him learn, Captain Marquet defaulted to what he knew best—being in control—and started issuing orders. And it seemed to work.

When we are able to physically see the positive impact of the decisions we make or the work we do, not only do we feel that our work was worth it, but it also inspires us to work harder and do more.

When our relationships with customers or employees become abstract concepts, we naturally pursue the most tangible thing we can see—the metrics.

Better products, services and experiences are usually the result of the employees who invented, innovated or supplied them. As soon as people are put second on the priority list, differentiation gives way to commoditization. And when that happens, innovation declines and the pressure to compete on things like price, and other short-term strategies, goes up.

When the people feel that they have the control to do what's right, even if it sometimes means breaking the rules, then they will more likely do the right thing. Courage comes from above. Our confidence to do what’s right is determined by how trusted we feel by our leaders.

If we work in an environment in which leadership tells the truth, in which layoffs are not the default in hard times and in which incentive structures do not pit us against one another, the result, thanks to the increased levels of oxytocin and serotonin, is trust and cooperation. This is what work-life balance means. It has nothing to do with the hours we work or the stress we suffer. It has to do with where we feel safe. If we feel safe at home, but we don’t feel safe at work, then we will suffer what we perceive to be a work-life imbalance.

Whether we are a boss, coach or parent, serotonin is working to encourage us to serve those for whom we are directly responsible. And if we are the employee, player or the one being looked after, the serotonin encourages us to work hard to make them proud.

As leaders, it is our sole responsibility to protect our people and, in turn, our people will protect each other, and advance the organization together. As employees or members of the group, we need the courage to take care of each other when our leaders don’t. And in doing so, we become the leaders we wish we had.

Stress and anxiety at work have less to do with the work we do and more to do with weak management and leadership. When we know that there are people at work who care about how we feel, our stress levels decrease. But when we feel like someone is looking out for themselves or that the leaders of the company care more about the numbers than they do us, our stress and anxiety go up.

These exceptional organizations all have cultures in which the leaders provide cover from above and the people on the ground look out for each other. This is the reason they are willing to push hard and take the kinds of risks they do. And the way any organization can achieve this is with empathy.

It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

When a company declares that its cause is to become a global leader or to become a household name or to make the best products, those are selfish desires with no intended value to anyone beyond the company itself (and often not even everyone in the company). Those causes can’t inspire humans because those causes aren't causes. No one wakes up in the morning inspired to champion that. In other words, none of them is a cause bigger than the company.

This is the deal we make with our leaders. We in the group will work hard to see their vision become a reality and they will offer us protection along the way.

Captain Marquet came to understand that the role of the leader is not to bark commands and be completely accountable for the success or failure of the mission. It is a leader's job instead to take responsibility for the success of each member of his crew. It is the leader’s job to ensure that they are well trained and feel confident to perform their duties. To give them responsibility and hold them accountable to advance the mission. If the captain provides direction and protection, the crew will do what needs to be done to advance the mission.

When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.

If the leader of the organization can’t clearly articulate WHY the organization exists in terms beyond its products or services, then how does he expect the employees to know WHY to come to work?

Our behavior is affected by our assumptions or our perceived truths. We make decisions based on what we think we know.

Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle.

Passion alone can't cut it. For passion to survive it needs structure. A why without how has little probability of success.

Great leaders and great organizations are good at seeing what most of us can’t see. They are good at giving us things we would never think of asking for.

Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of WHY. It comes from absolute conviction in an ideal bigger than oneself. Energy, in contrast, comes from a good night’s sleep or lots of caffeine. Energy can excite. But only charisma can inspire. Charisma commands loyalty. Energy does not.

People are either motivated or they are not. Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.

Working hard for something we do not care about is called stress, working hard for something we love is called passion.

Some in management positions operate as if they are in a tree of monkeys. They make sure that everyone at the top of the tree looking down sees only smiles. But all too often, those at the bottom looking up see only asses.

The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.

You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.

Leading means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.

Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders—in that order.

People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe

Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.

The main theme of the Golden Circle chapter in “Start with Why” is that great leaders and organizations start with why they do what they do, and that this sense of purpose and direction is the key to success and influence. By understanding and communicating their why, organizations can inspire people to connect with them on a deeper level and to take action in support of their cause.

The "Carrots and Sticks" chapter in "Start with Why" challenges the traditional model of motivation through external rewards and punishments. Instead, Sinek suggests that true motivation comes from tapping into people's intrinsic motivation by inspiring them with a clear sense of purpose and vision. By doing so, organizations can create a culture of innovation, growth, and fulfillment.

Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.

When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.

Humans want to belong. When you engage with your ideal audience, those who share your cause and core beliefs, they will share your goal with others, allowing your mission to manifest itself.

Great leaders build trust all around them.

Great leaders are less concerned with the competition. They compete against themselves.

Great leaders persist through failure and hard work.

Great leaders create space for innovation and an environment where inspired work can happen.

Great leaders create strong cultures in which everyone works toward the same mission.

Great leaders follow their intuition and inner voice and identify gaps in the market before customers realize they’re missing out on something.

The “What” defines the day-to-day aspects of your life and business

The “How” is what makes you, your products or services different and desirable.

The “Why” comes from your core purpose and mission; it’s the reason you get out of bed in the morning.

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.

Price always costs something. The question is, how much are you willing to pay for the money you make?

Loyalty is when people are willing to turn down a better product or a better price to continue doing business with you.

Manipulations work, but they cost money. Lots of money.

Knowing WHY is essential for lasting success and the ability to avoid being lumped in with others.

Our need to belong is not rational, but it is a constant that exists across all people in all cultures.

The power of WHY is not opinion, it’s biology.

For a message to have real impact, to affect behavior and seed loyalty, it needs more than publicity. It needs to publicize some higher purpose, cause or belief.

Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of WHY.

The goal of business then should not be to simply sell to anyone who wants what you have... but rather to find people who believe what you believe.

When people inside the company know WHY they come to work, people outside the company are vastly more likely to understand WHY the company is special.

Empowering the individual spirit is WHY Apple exists. Apple knows their WHY and so do we.

The leader’s job is no longer to close all the deals; it is to inspire.

Simply ensuring that WHAT you do proves what you believe makes it easy for those who believe what you believe to find you.

Great leaders are those who trust their gut. They are those who understand the art before the science. They win hearts before minds. They are the ones who start with WHY.

Instead of asking, “WHAT should we do to compete?” the questions must be asked, “WHY did we start doing WHAT we’re doing in the first place, and WHAT can we do to bring our cause to life considering all the technologies and market opportunities available today?

“Tipping points” happen when a mass of early adopters, innovators, and enough influencers unite to support a WHY. This can be consciously designed.

Successful leaders identify their purpose, vision, or cause first. They follow the “Golden Circle” formula which starts with working out their “Why” followed by the “How” and “What”—not the other way around.