New York Times
🔗 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/business/03road.htmlSimon Sinek teaches leaders and companies how to inspire people. From members of Congress to foreign ambassadors, from small businesses to corporations like Microsoft and American Express, from Hollywood to the UN to the Pentagon, those who want to know how to inspire people want to learn about The Golden Circle and the power of WHY. Sinek is quoted frequently by national publications and teaches at the Strategic Communications Program at Columbia University. When not staying in hotels,he resides in New York City.
<p><span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">This coloring book version of the best-selling “whine-stopper” children’s story was designed for kids to enjoy reading the rhyming, as well as being able to illustrate their own version of Peter’s nocturnal adventure into the woods.</span><br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;" /><br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;" /><span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">Peter’s mother warns him that if he doesn’t stop whining and crying, he’ll have to go live with the Whimper-Whineys. His adventure continues as he later hops into the woods and finds lots of frightening Whimper-Whineymen! He discovers that the Whimper-Whineys are very ill-mannered and rude, and that everything is sour in Whimper-Whineland. He decides his mother was right. If only he can get back home!</span><br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;" /><br style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;" /><span style="color:rgb(24,24,24);font-family:Merriweather, Georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">According to a recent critique, “I cannot imagine any parent or guardian not wanting to read this book to their child! ... Parents everywhere applaud you!”</span></p>
Why I wrote Start With Why: I am an optimist. I believe that if everyone woke up and only did the things that inspire them, what an amazing world we’d live in. If we look at the companies, civil leaders and organizations who truly lead, we can find vast numbers of people who stand with them, inspired by something bigger than themselves. Those who love their Apple computers, for example, are proud to be a part of Apple’s revolution. Those who tattoo a Harley-Davidson logo on their bodies are proud to be a part of Harley’s cause. Great leaders, be they individuals or organizations, inspire us to be a part of something larger than ourselves. But what does it take to be a great leader? What does it take to inspire? As it turns out, even though some may have a natural gift for it, the ability to inspire can be learned. The discovery: Looking at the leaders and organizations that have an unbalanced amount of influence in the world – the most loyal customers, the most loyal employees, the most profitable, the most innovative and, most importantly, able to sustain all those things for the long term – I discovered that they all think, act and communicate the exact same way…and it’s the complete opposite of everyone else. All I did was codify it. And I call it the Golden Circle. The book, Start With Why, shares this naturally occurring pattern in a way that is actionable. Others can learn how to be as innovative as Apple. Others can learn to generate loyalty like Harley-Davidson. And others can learn to rally thousands of people like Martin Luther King.
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">“</span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#000000;">Start with Why </span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">is one of the most useful and powerful books I have read in years. Simple and elegant, it shows us how leaders should lead. Highly recommended!” </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">—William Ury, coauthor of </span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#d64530;">Getting to Yes</span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">; cofounder of</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">“</span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#000000;">Start with Why </span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">fanned the flames inside me. It translates what we used in the military into terms any organization can apply; the principles are the same. This book can lead you to levels of excellence you never considered attainable.” </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">—General Chuck Horner, air boss, Desert Storm</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">“</span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#000000;">Start with Why </span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">will cause you to rethink your business. It is a great read and exactly on target. This book will inspire you.”</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">—Howard Putnam, former CEO, Southwest Airlines;</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">speaker and author of </span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#d64530;">The Winds of Turbulence</span></em></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">“</span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#000000;">Start with Why </span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">is a powerful and penetrating exploration of what separates great companies and great leaders from the rest. Too many leaders (and authors) go looking for authenticity in all the wrong places—Sinek takes you directly to the source.”</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">—Polly LaBarre, coauthor of </span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#d64530;">Mavericks at Work</span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">“</span><em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-It';color:#000000;">Start with Why </span></em><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;">offers a simple and pragmatic approach to great leadership. Each story will force you to see things from an entirely different perspective. A perspective that is nothing short of the truth.”</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">—Mokhtar Lamani, former ambassador, special envoy</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#d64530;">to Iraq and ambassador, permanent observer to the UN</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'MinionPro-Regular';color:#000000;"></span></p><p></p>