There is nothing more engaging or inspiring than someone who truly believes in the power of their vision.
When you meet someone who is so sure of their “why” — and not in an egotistical sense — but in a “if I don’t share this with you, I would be doing you a dishonour” it’s infectious. Their passion, determination, willingness to help — it’s incredible.
All great leaders share this same quality. Yet there are very few leaders who can successfully do this. Very few leaders who can inspire loyalty, create a mass movement and capture a vision in the hearts of people.
So how do you, as a leader, as a business owner, become the person who inspires your employees with your “why”?
It comes down to your communication.
Leadership icon and author of “It Starts With Why”, Simon Sinek, says “The greater you are at communicating your “why”, people will want to work for you regardless of the opportunity you afford them. They’ll want to be a part of it.”
How do you know what your why is
If you don’t know what your “why” is, then the first step needs to be discovering exactly what this is for you. At its core, the “why” is an origin story.
Think back to why you originally started your business. What was it that inspired this action? What were the driving factors that lead you to believing so much in your vision, that you did everything you could to make it become a reality? What problem were you trying to solve, and how were you trying to help people?
This level of deep thinking will get you back to your roots and thinking of the main big reason why you did something.
And if your immediate thought is “money”, then you haven’t quite figured out your “why”. Yes, for many people money is a huge source of motivation, but money is a result — it is not your “why”. Money allows us to do things we want to do, such as have more freedom, travel etc. The “why” goes much deeper. It is the purpose, cause or belief that drives every organisation and every person’s individual career. Why does your company exist? Why did you get out of bed this morning? And why should anyone care?
Once you’ve got your why, hold onto that and apply it to everything you do in your business. Keep it at the forefront of your mind, keep it as the reasoning and the drive for every decision you make.
Always lead with the why
When you lead with your “why”, it allows you to be more authentic. It gives your employees, your customers and your followers a way to identify with you on a personal level. Starting with “why” has a much deeper and more influential value.
If you’re a business owners, discovering your “why” will allow you to communicate what is unique about your company to your employees. For example, Apple has been an iconic brand not solely just because they make great products, but because of what they stand for. If you’re someone who wants to “Think Different,” you most likely have formed an emotional connection with Apple you’ve never experienced before with any other tech brand, say, Dell.
In addition, knowing your “why” makes it easier to hire the right people — a team of true believers. If you can successfully articulate and inspire employees with your “why”, you are creating a much stronger motivator for them to perform and be loyal than what money could ever do.
Leading with your “why” also ensures that your customers believe in what you do. When you can talk less about what your product is, the features, pricing differentiation and benefits, and more on what you stand for as a business, you’re creating a space where people can identify with what you do on a deeper level. This in turn will create more loyal customers, because it says something about them when they do business with a company that reflects their own beliefs and values.
Keep this ongoing
Once you’ve discovered your “why”, learn how to successfully communicate it and carry it through everything you do.As Simon writes:
“A company, indeed any organization, must work actively to remind everyone WHY the company exists. WHY it was founded in the first place. What it believes. They need to hold everyone in the company accountable to the values and guiding principles.”
By understanding the importance of communicating your “why”, your vision, your passion and your singular point of difference will flow effortlessly through all aspects of your business. If you’re starting a business, if you’re leading a team of people or looking to hire the right talent, always start with “why”. The most influential and effective leaders win with heart first. To do that, you, you have to start with “why”.
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