A Man’s Voyage – Part One

by Garret Barbush | President & CEO

In September 2009, Simon Sinek officially cemented his legacy as a builder of leaders and organizations through his famous TedTalk, which went viral in the world of business and leadership development. It garnered millions of views as it was shared on social media platforms around the world. Sinek’s TedTalk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”, led him to write Start With Why in 2011. “The Golden Circle” is Sinek’s model for inspirational leadership. Simple and powerful, his ideas build on starting with “Why?” 

In his presentation, Sinek states, “As it turns out, all the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it’s Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright brothers, they all think, act and communicate the exact same way, and it’s the complete opposite to everyone else. All I did was codify it, and it’s probably the world’s simplest idea. I call it the golden circle.” 

Sinek concluded that every inspiring leader or organization is successful because they focus on “Why.” It’s their bullseye. It’s what they aim for. Because of this precise focus, they spend a great deal of their time and energy to understand their “Why.” Early in the presentation, Sinek says, “Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, 100 percent. Some know how they do it…but very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do.” 

Sinek explains that “Why” is about your purpose, cause or belief. It’s the reason your organization exists. It‘s the reason YOU exist. “Why” is what gets you out of bed in the morning. It also helps other people understand why they should even care. 

Your Challenge – Take 10 minutes to journal about your WHY. You can’t screw this up. Simply write and communicate to God what you believe your purpose is. Why do you exist? What gets you out of bed in the morning? Why should your family and friends follow your lead?