Book Review

Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, will make you rethink everything you have ever done, said, or watched. It will make you rethink every advertisement you have watched, product you have purchased, and company you have endorsed. Start With Why made me question all that I have supported in life. With only 228 pages, Sinek’s book may look like an easy read, but it will really get you thinking. Start With Why is inspirational, motivational, realistic, and groundbreaking. It is a book, “for those who want to inspire others and for those who want to find someone to inspire them” (Sinek, 2011, p. VI).

Simon Sinek / Credibility 

Simon Sinek is an English-American writer, motivational speaker, and researcher.  He was born in London, England in 1973 and has worked in the States for over 30 years. His 2009 TED Talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” is the third most watched TED Talk with over 63 million views. He is also a professor at Columbia University.  His books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, including his first book Start With Why and a more recent book called The Infinite Game. Sinek is a visionary, optimist, and bright thinker. His website writes, “Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day fulfilled by the work they do” (Sinek). Because of his past experiences and accomplishments, Sinek is known as a credible author and academic. 

Content 

Simon Sinek’s Start WIth Why breaks down what why means. Sinek believes that the core of every good business and corporation should be why.  Every employee, business owner, manager, CEO, or whoever, should know why they are doing what they are doing. He studied leaders with the greatest influence in the world and found one common denominator: that they all understood their purpose. The book is broken down into six parts: 

1. A World That Does Not Start with Why

2. An Alternative Perspective

3. Leaders Need a Following

4. How to Rally Those Who Believe

5. The Biggest Challenge is Success

6. Discover Why 

In each chapter and part of the book, Sinek uses real life examples. Specifically, he analyzes how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple turned a small computer company into one of the largest, most profitable companies in the world. Apple has pushed boundaries, broken down barriers, and furthered technology since its founding in 1976. Sinek claims that Apple is such a profitable company because its followers are loyal to their why. Everyone at Apple understands why they do what they do. Furthermore, Sinek uses other examples, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on the civil rights movement, and the Wright Brothers ability to further American aviation, even against all odds. The content in Start With Why is relatable and realistic. It is easy to follow along because the average person and reader should know what Apple is, who Martin Luther King Jr. was, and what the Wright Brothers did. 

Writing Style

Start With Why includes many stories to help understand Sinek’s points. He uses descriptive language coupled with statistics to further his point. The book is clear and straightforward. It is simple to follow because of how it is broken up. Each of the six parts of the book serve a purpose and to support the content. 

Takeaway 

The biggest takeaway from the book, Start With Why, is Sinek’s idea of “The Golden Circle.”  Introduced in Chapter 3, the concept of The Golden Circle was inspired by the golden ratio. It offers a formula that can produce repeatable results, it offers evidence of order, and finds predictability in human behavior (Sinek, 2011).  Simply put, “The Golden Circle is an alternative perspective to existing assumptions about why some leaders and organizations have achieved such a disproportionate degree of influence” (Sinek, 2011, p. 38). It is literally a three ringed circle with “why” in the middle, “how’ in the second ring, and “what” in the outer ring.  In my opinion, the best part of the book was part four: How to Rally Those Who Believe.  This section delves deeper into how to inspire individuals, specifically in Chapter 8: “Start with WHY, but Know HOW” and Chapter 9: “Know WHY, Know HOW, Then WHAT?”. Starting from the outside in, “what” stands for products or services that an organization sells. Sinek believes that every organization should know what they are doing. “How” is something only some organizations understand. “How” covers what makes organizations special and sets them apart from their competitors. Only few organizations know their why. Why is defined by the purpose, the cause, the reason that an organization exists. In order for an organization to be successful and lasting, Sinek believes they must follow The Golden Circle. 

The Golden Circle can also be personal. After reading this book, I was inspired to delve deeper into myself and find my why. At this stage in my life, my why revolves around my academic career because I am a college student. It is important to recognize that your why can look different during different stages of your life. What is your why? 

Conclusion and Rating 

I would rate Start With Why by Simon Sinek a 5 / 5 rating. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned a lot about myself as a leader and as a consumer. I would definitely recommend this book to those in leadership positions, anyone starting a new job, or even someone looking to be inspired. This is a fantastic and educational book for anyone interested in business. The Golden Circle is an idea that all people should understand. Anyone looking for a better future should read this book. 

Simon Sinek is a force. He has experience, drive, and can eloquently articulate the two. From the start, I knew that I would enjoy this book because Sinek wrote, “For Victoria, who finds good ideas and makes them great.” Victoria is my first name, so maybe I am a little biased. 

Quotes 

• There are leaders and there are those who lead.  Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us” (Sinek, 2011, p. V). 

• People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it” (Sinek, 2011, p. 41).

• Great leaders are those who trust their gut. They are those who understand the art before the science.  They win hearts before the mind.  They are the ones who start with WHY” (Sinek, 2011, p. 60). 

• You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills” (Sinek, 2011, p. 93).

• There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it”              (Sinek, 2011, p. 17).