There’s an old saying in business that goes like this: Until the job means more than the pay, it will never pay more.
It’s doubtful Simon Sinek, the renowned author, marketer, and motivational speaker, had this adage in mind when he penned Start With Why. There’s no question, however, that the core message of his book invokes a similar line of reasoning. Sinek writes, “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.”
Simply put: Individuals and organizations that focus on, and are driven by, why they do what they do rather than what they do (their products and services) or how they do it (their value proposition and unique selling point) can soar to unprecedented heights.
To illustrate his theory, Sinek analyzes Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers. Although they had little in common ostensibly, all of these innovators possessed a crystal-clear understanding of their “why.” They realized, as one summary for Start With Why states, that “people don’t truly buy into a product, service, movement or idea until they understand the why behind it.”
The same is true for the majority of the world’s most impactful and successful companies (including Apple, of course). Like the protagonists in Sinek’s book, these organizations are aligned with their true mission and purpose—they know why their respective companies exist. And it isn’t to make a profit (that’s a byproduct).
From top to bottom, these organizations nurture mission-driven environments in which the enterprise takes on the personality of its team members, and vice versa.
These values guide the what and how behind everything the organization does, which in turn helps to attract and retain customers who share similar beliefs.
If you’ve never read Start With Why—or if you’ve lost sight of its central tenet—you should make time to do so. Also be sure to check out Sinek’s TED talk for a quick overview of “why.”
Then, take the lessons to heart, get back to the basics, and commit to finding and focusing on your company’s reason for being.
Lee Kester is the CEO + Founder of Kester Search Group LLC, a consultative talent acquisition firm that specializes in executive search and commercial expansion projects for diagnostic, medical device and healthcare technology companies throughout the United States.
When he and this team aren’t helping clients build great companies, you can probably find Lee spending time with his wife, three children, family and friends; fly fishing; watching Georgia Bulldogs football; or playing golf. Lee can be contacted via email at lee@kestersearch.com.
