Exploring a method for motivating people to work tirelessly, from the author and world-renowned coach, Simon Sinek. His perspectives have been widely disseminated and cited by many famous local and international speakers at various public forums.
Simon Sinek started with a fundamental question: Why are some individuals or organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Even when they exist in the same circumstances, with the same technology, the same workforce, and the same resources. Why do we sometimes demand more and more loyalty from our customers, as well as from our own employees? Why is it that among successful individuals, some can maintain their standing for a long time and achieve success again and again?
According to Simon Sinek's perspective, we can find the answers to the questions above if everyone can discover the reason, the "why," that drives them to do what they do. Everyone will be satisfied with the work they are doing, and that is the only path that can propel them to achieve future success, without a doubt.
How many people who work for others, going to work day in and day out, can say with confidence and satisfaction that the work they do is for themselves? Although some people might confidently answer "yes" to these questions, the reality for most people is that they are not satisfied with or even love the work they are currently doing. They often think that trying to find a dream job is a waste of time. There is no shortage of people working in fields different from their skills or dreams. They believe that as long as they make money to solve their living problems first, that is the most important and urgent matter.
But in reality, the work they are doing, which they think is not part of their dream, could change everything in their lives. But I also have a question for all of you. Can we truly not find a job that is our dream, a job that we are satisfied with?
According to Simon Sinek, he said that if we cannot find our dream job, we can learn to accept the job we are currently doing as a job that can make us excited, happy, and satisfied just the same. It all depends on our mindset and our confidence. In short, whatever we do, we can still be satisfied and create a love for what we are doing. What we need to do is just find the reason or the purpose. Why do we have to do that task? When we find that reason and purpose, accept it and try to do that task to the best of our ability. And consider it a job you do for yourself, for your personal growth, to learn from new mistakes and new experiences that can make your life more meaningful and valuable.
Simon Sinek, the author of this book, is a great example. Although he was leading a successful advertising business, he never felt interested in or loved his work. But he started to feel satisfied and love his work when he discovered the "why" behind everything that made him roll up his sleeves, pull up his pants, and do various tasks without getting tired. It didn't matter if the task was within his dream or outside of it. And little by little, he started to feel good about his work from that moment on. And seeing this importance, he started his own business with the purpose of leading a movement of a group of people with a mission to inspire and motivate everyone to find the "why" behind what they do.
His main goal is to inspire others to do something that makes them feel excited, loved, and satisfied, and ultimately, to help them learn to accept what they are doing as part of their dream. The basic idea is that we can all find our "why" without needing special resources or having to be lucky. What we need to do is adhere to simple principles that everyone can learn. By applying these principles, everyone can create a business or organization where every employee shares a common reason. And those reasons can help the business or organization to go as far as changing the world. All of this starts with the reason of an individual, then spreads to many others, and can still maintain its core values, even as it is shared from one person to another.
Simon Sinek repeatedly advises that if you want to motivate and inspire others, do not manipulate their understanding. Instead, replace it with explanations and guidance based on reason and honesty. Every individual or organization must know how to inspire and motivate others to act to achieve a common goal, whether it's striving to increase work efficiency, participating in a charity project, or donating to a relief organization. However, most companies and organizations stick to the same old strategies to motivate their employees. They offer incentives for employees to do something, sometimes even using threats, and sometimes using rewards or perks to entice them. In contrast, good managers want the people around them to dare to act to achieve a certain goal without having to rely solely on rewards or punishments. We are willing to follow others, not because of any reasonable logic. But because we feel it is our duty, or something we must do. But if we do something because we have sufficient reason to do it, that is the incredible, inexhaustible motivation. This kind of motivation is deeper and stronger than motivation driven by pressure and money. And people who are considered excellent often do things to serve their emotions, without giving up easily and without needing constant reminders.
Employees with such good qualities always bring their personal resources to contribute to the growth of the organization, without needing to be reminded many times. And they are willing to sacrifice themselves to achieve the common goal actively and tirelessly. They don't work just for rewards or praise. But they know and recognize the meaning and core values in performing their work. They feel that this is what they must do, what they must achieve.
Let's look at the case of the Wright Brothers, who invented the first airplane in 1903. They had no specially trained team, no connections with large industries, and no financial support like their competitors. They didn't even expect to become rich or famous. But the amazing miracle was that their team was driven by one mindset: they would make the impossible possible. This dedication to a sharp goal and purpose was the key to their success. And it gave them an advantage over their competitors at that time. Finally, they made their dream a reality by designing and building an airplane that could fly and was powered by a motor system, the first of its kind in the world at that time. And they made their first flight on December 17, 1903.
In the book "Start With Why," the author highlights the principle of the Golden Circle, which reveals the importance of having a reason or purpose behind our actions. And it is even more important if we want to lead and inspire others to do something without fear of fatigue. To make it easier to understand, I will compare the importance of the three parts of the Golden Circle to three different stages. The first stage is the questioning stage with the word "Why." This stage helps to unearth our original cause, the reason why we create or do something. This "Why" stage basically describes the vision of a company or organization, why that company or organization was founded. What is the most important purpose or value of that company or organization?
The second stage is the questioning stage with the word "How," which means how should we do it to achieve the original purpose? By creating something that embodies a specific core value or a unique work culture that is distinct from other organizations. And that will lead us to the final stage, the third stage. Which is the questioning stage with the word "What," meaning what do we want to see, what do we want to produce as a result, such as a product or service to answer the original reason (the first stage, "Why"). Although these three stages, "Why," "How," and "What," are known and understood to be studied clearly beforehand, many companies and organizations do not clearly know the reason why they are doing what they are doing. You might mistakenly think that making a profit is the reason or cause that motivates you to do something. In fact, that's not the case. Profit is just the result of relentless effort combined with a specific reason for taking that action. It's not the reason or the cause. This is according to Simon Sinek's explanation.
To be able to work effectively with others, we should practice and understand these three stages in depth. These three stages provide a model of leadership and can be used as a key to building a business or organization, as well as motivating and leading others. In the end, every leader must try their best not just to create a good relationship between the three stages above, but also to remember clearly the first stage, "Why." Because this stage is often forgotten when an organization has been operating for a while. A good leader can connect all three stages, starting from the first stage, continuing to the second stage, and then to the third stage sequentially.
When we talk about an organization's decisions, we often make decisions based more on the first stage, "Why," than the second stage, "What." Because only the first stage, "Why," can create a sense of ownership throughout the organization, from top leadership down to the lower levels. Therefore, people in leadership positions who want to lead others to do something should start by explaining the reason why they need to do it first. By doing so, it will make them feel that they are owners or have a stake in the plan. And it will also make them want to do the work without hesitation.
When a person starts to do something with a focused mind, they will have courage and dare to join a movement or buy a brand-name product, and they will use those things to express their identity, who they are. And the more clearly you explain, by trying to connect to the reason more and more, the more people will like it. Why is that? It's because people don't buy what people make; they buy because of the reason behind the production. They can explain the initial reason why they decided to do what they are doing. And then, how they should do it, and finally, what their product should be to respond to that initial reason.
One of the best examples of these three stages is Apple. The slogan "Think Different" emphasizes their philosophy in competing in a society where most people like to follow each other. In the end, they succeeded in defining this reason. Which reflects what they are doing. Next is the way or method they have to do it to bring it into existence. For example, they adopted a method of strengthening design and increasing appeal through ease of use and the aesthetics of Apple products. And in the final stage, they transformed all those points into computers, smartphones, and MP3 players, among other things, with elegance.
When customers are excited by the reason a company has adopted, the product becomes less important to them. Because the customers have already been influenced by the company's ideology. Through the vision or the reason behind the production of those products or services. And they are happy to buy new things that the company will produce and sell in the future. Many companies or organizations succeed not because of business strategies or thinking differently from others. But because that company or organization can make decisions by taking the common reason and the core values of the company as the basis. And they know how to instill ideas in their employees, as well as their customers, by connecting to the reason behind what they are doing.
This is the only way to make their ideas move forward. While some factors like financial factors and other resource factors are considered secondary for them to achieve success. By motivating others in this way, we have created a situation. Whether it's your customers or your employees, they will follow you loyally. You could almost say with the utmost loyalty. With their support, we can have enough capacity to change the entire industry or even the whole world.
For example, the American motorcycle company Harley-Davidson has built a community of loyal fans, which we call "fans," for over 100 years. For Harley-Davidson customers, it's not just a motorcycle; it's also an important symbol for them, for which they have waited for 2 to 3 months for this one motorcycle, after they have placed their order. And some fans are so dedicated they even get the company's logo tattooed on their arms. Companies with a clear reason generally don't have a problem differentiating themselves from other companies. This strength gives them a luxury that almost makes it unnecessary to pay attention to competition at all. As a result, they are confident and full of dreams and have an advantage over their competitors, and they don't have to rely on various competitive methods.
Furthermore, when a business has a clear personality and reason, they can attract the best employees to join them. And that will be invaluable when we talk about ensuring the survival and long-term existence of a business. Do you know that people who are easily excited are the most powerful resource for a business? The reason for a business or the movement of any group should be clearly stated so that those with similar beliefs have the opportunity to develop that belief and increase loyalty. When you have a sufficient reason, they will be willing to follow, and this following is not because they feel obliged or expect a reward in return. But because they believe in the reason of a common cause that leads them to decide to act.
In other words, companies or organizations should not hire people just by looking at their qualifications and thinking they can motivate and push them to achieve goals later. This kind of thinking is too wasteful and risky. Instead, a company or organization should look for employees who already have the right spirit and continue to motivate them with a common reason or cause consistently, in order to achieve the goals of the company or organization that have been set. For example, there is an airline called Southwest that has always implemented this philosophy perfectly. In the 70s, the criteria for selecting flight attendants were very competitive. Because every company wanted flight attendants with the best qualifications, including skills, experience, and knowledge. The airline Southwest decided to hire only cheerleaders and dancers for their flight attendant positions. As a result, they got the best candidates for the company, because sharing joy, happiness, and encouragement to everyone was already part of their nature.
Employees with this kind of enthusiasm not only bring excellence with customers but can also attract employees with similar spirit, heart, and enthusiasm. With perseverance, working diligently with a common cause for their company. In an atmosphere of trust, every employee will feel free to be creative to contribute to achieving the common goal. This is what makes a business or organization stand out and achieve success again and again.
Simon Sinek advises that long-term success depends on the survival of the first stage, the "Why" stage. In the real world, it's not easy to monitor these three stages consistently. Often, the "Why" stage is neglected, especially when a company or organization has been operating for a while. Unlike in the beginning, which required constant reminders of the original cause, why we created it or did it. At this stage, even if it doesn't reflect the actual business goals, people start to prioritize numbers instead, like expenses and revenue. And they often forget the original cause. At this point, they focus heavily on how to seize opportunities first, win, and be faster than others in this stage.
Moreover, success leads to the growth of the organization. And the growth of the organization will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of people joining the organization. The more participants, the higher the risk of diluting the original cause ("Why"). And as a result, it can have a negative impact in the long run. Therefore, it is very important to preserve the reason created by the founders until it becomes a culture of the entire organization up to the present. And future leaders must also adopt it, continue to maintain it well, because it is part of the organization's identity that must be preserved firmly.
A danger sign for an organization will arise when the founders, one by one, leave the organization for various reasons. And the risk is highest when an organization allows its "Why" stage to be forgotten and not reminded or made into the organization's identity for future generations of leaders to remember and continue to implement. For example, consider the company Walmart. The original cause of this company was to serve its customers and employees. When the founder of the organization passed away, the focus on the two values mentioned above was changed. It was changed to focusing on maximizing profits instead. And most of the processes caused a lot of losses to the employees. As a result, hundreds of thousands of employees sued the company for paying them low wages. As a result of the lawsuit, Walmart paid large fines and hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to its employees.
From the brief story above, we can learn a lesson that finding the original cause for doing something is not difficult. But what is difficult is maintaining the "Why" stage so that it can remain in the hearts of everyone in the organization and continue to be present forever.
Simon Sinek also added that manipulating customers' opinions does not build trust, but it will have bad consequences in the end. Many companies rely on methods of manipulating the opinions of their potential customers to get them to buy the company's products. By doing so, these companies do not pay attention to the real motivating factor ("Why") for their customers. Which, in fact, could make customers excited and support buying the company's products with confidence. They conduct sales transactions with customers by applying general sales techniques that do not create any special connection between the customer and the company's products or services. As long as they get money in their pockets, the customer is no longer important. Those techniques include clearance sales, limited-time offers, or buy-two-get-one-free deals, and so on. This makes customers think that this is a rare opportunity.
These repetitive styles are business styles that do not show customers the cause of how they can help society. But they only create more pressure on society. For example, a method of manipulating customers' understanding is a toothbrush product that is supported and used by 4 out of 5 dentists, and so on. These sales methods are used for a simple reason: to sell out quickly. It is effective in the short term, and the success of this method is also short-lived. And in the end, the business cannot benefit from this method. Because it does not create feelings and trust or build loyalty from customers.
You don't have to worry about all these techniques if you have many loyal customers. Loyal customers will always like to support and buy products from the companies they like. Even if it's not the best or the cheapest compared to similar products in the same category. This technique of manipulating customer opinion, although effective in the short term, is not a sustainable long-term strategy.
Conclusion. In summary, for any type of business, or individual, or the movement of any group of people, it should start with a specific reason, or what we can also call the original cause. This reason or original cause must serve as the basis for all decisions and as the basis for setting the message of the leader who wants to convey it to the audience or their customers. By doing so, leaders and organizations can achieve long-term success and can attract loyal supporters who are responsible, or customers who understand the cause behind your product.