Hi everyone! Simon Sinek brings to light, the core reason why we follow who we do. It is the old saying “it’s not what you do but how you do it,” but maybe this saying is not so far off of the truth. Sinek focuses on the idea that the way to get people to follow you or to get people to buy a certain product from you, is not to show what you are selling, whether it is an idea or an MP3, or how it works but instead why they need it and why you made it. According to Sinek, the difference between leaders and people who lead is leaders are people we have to follow and people who lead are people we choose to follow. Although this could be written of as just another theory, there is actually evidence to this being true. The examples he uses throughout his presentation in addition to the many leadership theories we discuss in class, convinced me that there is some truth to this. For instance the basic principle of authentic leadership is exactly what Sinek speaks about. Three of Bill George’s five dimensions of authentic leadership are purpose, heart, and relationships all of which support the idea that motivation matters. In addition the leader-member exchange theory would support this idea because it requires followers to understand the leader and focuses on this connection. The way this then relates to why we, as in society, follow leaders who may not conventionally seem qualified or have no position of power is because we see why they make the decisions that they do. An example Sinek uses is Martin Luther King Jr. he was able to bring over a quarter of a million people together at the same place and at the same time, without making it a Facebook event, and without ever having a legitimate political position. The reason for this was because he was able to share with people why he felt the way he did. Continuing with this example Sinek explains that the people who came that day to hear MLK Jr. speak did not just come to see him they came for themselves, MLK Jr. was able to make his dreams his follower’s dreams. Sinek states that “MLK Jr. did not give a ‘I have a plan speech’ no he gave a ’I have a dream speech.” He continues by explaining that when you hear a politician go on about specific plans he has on making a change you are not inspired but when you hear someone like MLK say why we need this change you are. In today’s world we are given so much information that it is impossible sometimes to make a decision such as who to vote for or even what brand of product to buy, instead you look to someone whom you trust. A recent Fiat car commercial is the perfect example, there are so many models and makes of cars but by having Jennifer Lopez driving through her old neighborhood and telling us WHY she likes driving this car and what it means to her, makes consumers want to buy it. This TED video presents the idea that “people do not buy what you do they buy why you do it.” So my question to you guys is do you agree? Do you think Sinek is right when he states that the most important part of leadership is the “why?” This idea, I believe, does not support some of the concepts we have learned in class such the path-goal theory simply because this idea does not call the leader to change or adapt, so this makes me question if in fact it is correct. Sinek does a great job convincing his viewers that he is right, but when it comes to actually working in an organization could this be applied?
Emily I think this is a great theory/idea. As I was reading your post I kept thinking about decisions I've made recently and why I made them? I asked myself did someone influence my decisions and if they did how?(was it because of what they did or why). Personally, when I make decisions, depending on the situation I may ask how or why. For example, if I'm dealing with a complex problem I generally will ask a how question, like how can I solve this issue? When I'm dealing with more personal problems I may ask why. For instance why do I care?. Again, these are just general examples and I can use both why and how in any situation but I think asking the question why you did it becomes more personal because its intention is to make the individual reflect and have insight behind their decision. I do believe Sinek has a great point when he says the most important part of leadership is the "why". I believe if we all started asking the question "why do you do it" we will begin to understand authentic leadership (INTERPERSONAL DEFINITION) what we believe makes a person "genuine" or "real". I also believe this is a great question to be asked of both followers and leaders. With this approach I think we can gain great insight about leader follower relationships. When it comes to working in an organization I think this can be a great question/tool of measurement to use for hiring, firing, promotions or appraisals because it's important to know and understand why you are doing what you are doing. It’s a great way to assess your decision making skills and the direction you want to be headed in. Quasheena Ellis
I think for me the most important question a follower must ask is "why?". If someone is trying to persuade me to do something or sell something to me I always think "why?". Why would I buy this or do this? So as a leader or salesman you have to think like your followers and answer that question. You have to be able to display the value of what your selling to followers or clients. I'm a little torn about the celebrity factor. I don't think I would buy something because someone I trust indorses it, but I would try it. The reason I like Nike products is because it's what I saw Michael Jordan wear when I grew up. After trying Nike appareal I know I like it and it is quality. If I tried it and didn't like it I would not buy it. Does this make sense? I guess I'm saying I would try a product if someone I trust endorses it but only buy if I like it.
Yes Tyler that completely makes sense! And I think that is exactly what a celebrity endorser or any type of leader wants to hear. It is his/her job to have you trust them enough to buy their product or some other action that they call of you, that you might not have paid any attention to without his/her name behind it. To continue with your example of Air Jordans, Jordan’s have been a huge success and sell insanely well, so the question is, what to contribute that success to? Michael Jordan had no experience designing or making shoes before Air Jordans, as far as I know, so people did not buy them because of what the skills approach calls ‘technical skills’. Instead people pay attention to this line because Michael Jordan had the ‘human skills’, he “[provided an answer to people who [were] searching for good and sound leadership in an uncertain world” (pg222). Then to tie back into the video I posted, Jordan was such a good leader because he showed people the “why” behind the making of his shoes. The reason was because of his passion for the game and to help others improve. By having this message come from the best player of all time means a lot. This is evident because of the constant sales rate. Michael Jordan is a prime example of an authentic leader because although he became a leader in the sports world through his ‘technical skills’ he was able to capitalize on them by using his ‘human skills.’ Without the ladder I am not sure that he would be as much of a powerful social figure as he is today.
I agree to a certain extent, because given a definitive reason why to follow someone or something, in the skeptical world we live in, makes people feel comfortable in doing so. As I recently heard in a lecture, it is more important to appear knowledgeable than to actually be knowledgeable in a leadership position. So, if this statement holds true, then providing logical backing as to why someone or some group should follow a movement, person, or idea is imperative to successful leadership. Sinek’s view of leadership could definitely be applied to organizational leadership. If an organization is headed by an intelligent, charismatic, confident leader that strongly believes in a mission and has the ability to back it with logical reasoning as to why it is important, then subordinates will, more than likely, develop that opinion as well. This, in turn will lead to more motivated employees and a successful workplace. It may be a stretch to say that his opinion is 100% accurate, but it is also hard to argue the fact that when given a motivational and logical reason why to do something, people generally do.
Ty I agree that his idea may not be the best in all cases, especially when a leader does not have an inspirational reason why he/she is acting in a certain way. Or if the leader is not ethical in his/her reasoning why they believe his/her idea is best. From a leader's perspective it is vital to show followers why one may be taking an action. From the follower's point of view though it is often important to check the legitimacy of the leader's reasoning with facts. Not all decisions can be made with trust and on emotion some must be factually based.
When I initially saw this and read everyone's comments I thought of how businesses often don't advertise their products as a whole, they choose to advertise the message the company promotes. These reason firms like IBM and Nike do this to make the customer feel like they are part of a movement, and that they should be emotionally involved in the companies mission. The same logic applies to individual leaders. A follower wants to follow someone who fully encompasses the meaning of the organization. Someone who is truly authentic is able to capture the imaginations of their followers and emotionally involve their followers throughout the movement. When the leader and follower are emotionally involved in the organization, the organization will greatly benefit.
Too add to what I said in my previous comment. The emotional involvement of the followers answers the why? question. Furthermore, like Ty said earlier this will create a sense of trust throughout the organization and their stakeholders.
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteSimon Sinek brings to light, the core reason why we follow who we do. It is the old saying “it’s not what you do but how you do it,” but maybe this saying is not so far off of the truth. Sinek focuses on the idea that the way to get people to follow you or to get people to buy a certain product from you, is not to show what you are selling, whether it is an idea or an MP3, or how it works but instead why they need it and why you made it. According to Sinek, the difference between leaders and people who lead is leaders are people we have to follow and people who lead are people we choose to follow. Although this could be written of as just another theory, there is actually evidence to this being true. The examples he uses throughout his presentation in addition to the many leadership theories we discuss in class, convinced me that there is some truth to this. For instance the basic principle of authentic leadership is exactly what Sinek speaks about. Three of Bill George’s five dimensions of authentic leadership are purpose, heart, and relationships all of which support the idea that motivation matters. In addition the leader-member exchange theory would support this idea because it requires followers to understand the leader and focuses on this connection.
The way this then relates to why we, as in society, follow leaders who may not conventionally seem qualified or have no position of power is because we see why they make the decisions that they do. An example Sinek uses is Martin Luther King Jr. he was able to bring over a quarter of a million people together at the same place and at the same time, without making it a Facebook event, and without ever having a legitimate political position. The reason for this was because he was able to share with people why he felt the way he did. Continuing with this example Sinek explains that the people who came that day to hear MLK Jr. speak did not just come to see him they came for themselves, MLK Jr. was able to make his dreams his follower’s dreams. Sinek states that “MLK Jr. did not give a ‘I have a plan speech’ no he gave a ’I have a dream speech.” He continues by explaining that when you hear a politician go on about specific plans he has on making a change you are not inspired but when you hear someone like MLK say why we need this change you are.
In today’s world we are given so much information that it is impossible sometimes to make a decision such as who to vote for or even what brand of product to buy, instead you look to someone whom you trust. A recent Fiat car commercial is the perfect example, there are so many models and makes of cars but by having Jennifer Lopez driving through her old neighborhood and telling us WHY she likes driving this car and what it means to her, makes consumers want to buy it. This TED video presents the idea that “people do not buy what you do they buy why you do it.”
So my question to you guys is do you agree? Do you think Sinek is right when he states that the most important part of leadership is the “why?” This idea, I believe, does not support some of the concepts we have learned in class such the path-goal theory simply because this idea does not call the leader to change or adapt, so this makes me question if in fact it is correct. Sinek does a great job convincing his viewers that he is right, but when it comes to actually working in an organization could this be applied?
Written by Emily Seaholm
ReplyDeleteEmily I think this is a great theory/idea. As I was reading your post I kept thinking about decisions I've made recently and why I made them? I asked myself did someone influence my decisions and if they did how?(was it because of what they did or why). Personally, when I make decisions, depending on the situation I may ask how or why. For example, if I'm dealing with a complex problem I generally will ask a how question, like how can I solve this issue? When I'm dealing with more personal problems I may ask why. For instance why do I care?. Again, these are just general examples and I can use both why and how in any situation but I think asking the question why you did it becomes more personal because its intention is to make the individual reflect and have insight behind their decision. I do believe Sinek has a great point when he says the most important part of leadership is the "why". I believe if we all started asking the question "why do you do it" we will begin to understand authentic leadership (INTERPERSONAL DEFINITION) what we believe makes a person "genuine" or "real". I also believe this is a great question to be asked of both followers and leaders. With this approach I think we can gain great insight about leader follower relationships. When it comes to working in an organization I think this can be a great question/tool of measurement to use for hiring, firing, promotions or appraisals because it's important to know and understand why you are doing what you are doing. It’s a great way to assess your decision making skills and the direction you want to be headed in.
ReplyDeleteQuasheena Ellis
I think for me the most important question a follower must ask is "why?". If someone is trying to persuade me to do something or sell something to me I always think "why?". Why would I buy this or do this? So as a leader or salesman you have to think like your followers and answer that question. You have to be able to display the value of what your selling to followers or clients. I'm a little torn about the celebrity factor. I don't think I would buy something because someone I trust indorses it, but I would try it. The reason I like Nike products is because it's what I saw Michael Jordan wear when I grew up. After trying Nike appareal I know I like it and it is quality. If I tried it and didn't like it I would not buy it. Does this make sense? I guess I'm saying I would try a product if someone I trust endorses it but only buy if I like it.
ReplyDeleteYes Tyler that completely makes sense! And I think that is exactly what a celebrity endorser or any type of leader wants to hear. It is his/her job to have you trust them enough to buy their product or some other action that they call of you, that you might not have paid any attention to without his/her name behind it. To continue with your example of Air Jordans, Jordan’s have been a huge success and sell insanely well, so the question is, what to contribute that success to? Michael Jordan had no experience designing or making shoes before Air Jordans, as far as I know, so people did not buy them because of what the skills approach calls ‘technical skills’. Instead people pay attention to this line because Michael Jordan had the ‘human skills’, he “[provided an answer to people who [were] searching for good and sound leadership in an uncertain world” (pg222).
ReplyDeleteThen to tie back into the video I posted, Jordan was such a good leader because he showed people the “why” behind the making of his shoes. The reason was because of his passion for the game and to help others improve. By having this message come from the best player of all time means a lot. This is evident because of the constant sales rate. Michael Jordan is a prime example of an authentic leader because although he became a leader in the sports world through his ‘technical skills’ he was able to capitalize on them by using his ‘human skills.’ Without the ladder I am not sure that he would be as much of a powerful social figure as he is today.
By Emily Seaholm
ReplyDeleteI agree to a certain extent, because given a definitive reason why to follow someone or something, in the skeptical world we live in, makes people feel comfortable in doing so. As I recently heard in a lecture, it is more important to appear knowledgeable than to actually be knowledgeable in a leadership position. So, if this statement holds true, then providing logical backing as to why someone or some group should follow a movement, person, or idea is imperative to successful leadership. Sinek’s view of leadership could definitely be applied to organizational leadership. If an organization is headed by an intelligent, charismatic, confident leader that strongly believes in a mission and has the ability to back it with logical reasoning as to why it is important, then subordinates will, more than likely, develop that opinion as well. This, in turn will lead to more motivated employees and a successful workplace. It may be a stretch to say that his opinion is 100% accurate, but it is also hard to argue the fact that when given a motivational and logical reason why to do something, people generally do.
ReplyDeleteBy: Ty Wiesemeyer
Ty
ReplyDeleteI agree that his idea may not be the best in all cases, especially when a leader does not have an inspirational reason why he/she is acting in a certain way. Or if the leader is not ethical in his/her reasoning why they believe his/her idea is best. From a leader's perspective it is vital to show followers why one may be taking an action. From the follower's point of view though it is often important to check the legitimacy of the leader's reasoning with facts. Not all decisions can be made with trust and on emotion some must be factually based.
Made by Emily Seaholm
ReplyDeleteWhen I initially saw this and read everyone's comments I thought of how businesses often don't advertise their products as a whole, they choose to advertise the message the company promotes. These reason firms like IBM and Nike do this to make the customer feel like they are part of a movement, and that they should be emotionally involved in the companies mission. The same logic applies to individual leaders. A follower wants to follow someone who fully encompasses the meaning of the organization. Someone who is truly authentic is able to capture the imaginations of their followers and emotionally involve their followers throughout the movement. When the leader and follower are emotionally involved in the organization, the organization will greatly benefit.
ReplyDeleteBy Dan Becker
Too add to what I said in my previous comment. The emotional involvement of the followers answers the why? question. Furthermore, like Ty said earlier this will create a sense of trust throughout the organization and their stakeholders.
ReplyDeleteBy Dan Becker
ReplyDelete