"Starting with Why" - Principles of the Golden Circle

LUNCH + LEARN + WHY NOVEMBER 2016 © 2016 MINDGRUVE
“STARTING WITH WHY”
& ENGAGING OUR CLIENTS
BASED ON PRINCIPLES CREATED BY: SIMON SINEK
PRESENTED BY: BRYANT WALKER
1

LUNCH + LEARN + WHY NOVEMBER 2016 © 2016 MINDGRUVE2
POINTS WE’LL DISCUSS
• “STARTING WITH WHY”
• TRUST IN WHY
• APPLYING TO OUR DAY-TO-DAY
• YOUTUBE LINKS

INTRODUCTION: 
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE: AN INTRODUCTION
Most businesses, by default, operate on a foundation 
of “what” — based on a need to oﬀer services or  
products in exchange for currency — building up  
their business from ground up, so to speak.
“WHAT WE DO OR SELL”
EVERYTHING 
ELSE 
 
“HOW AND WHY WE  
DO OR SELL”

SIMON
SINEK
Creator of the
“Golden Circle”
The Golden Circle oﬀers an
interesting perspective as to
how we operate as
businesses, professionals,
and yes, individuals too.

What
As stated in the ﬁrst slide,
most businesses operate
from a “what” perspective,
relying on what you oﬀer as
the means and purpose for
operation — or to go deeper,
reason to exist.

How
In the Golden Circle, “How”
you do what you do doesn’t
change positioning
regardless of which
direction you work from,
however its meaning is often
sharpened when starting
with “Why”.

WHY
By starting with, or focusing
on “Why”, we are leading
with purpose and passion
for the actions we take, the
moves we make.
By nature, this gives what
you do, true meaning.

WHY IS HOW WE ARE PERCEIVED.

START WITH WHY

LESSONS IN BUSINESS NETWORKING
A few years ago, the meaning of “Starting with Why”
became important through various B2B networking events,
wherein most professionals are there to sell you something.
There’s a built-in “What” before “Why”. For most, it’s purely
transactional engagements: 
 
“Hi, I’m Bob and I do _____, what do you do?”
The Lesson: There’s no means to build a meaningful
connection in that form of interaction.

START WITH WHY

The Golden Circle
WHAT
Every organization on the planet
knows WHAT they do. These are
products they sell or the services
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

WHAT
HOW
Some organizations know HOW
they do it. These are the things
that make them special or set them
apart from their competition.
The Golden CircleTHE GOLDEN CIRCLE

The Golden Circle
WHAT
HOW
Some organizations know HOW
they do it. These are the things
that make them special or set them
apart from their competition.
WHY
Very few organizations know WHY
they do what they do. WHY is
not about making money. That’s
a result. WHY is a purpose, cause
or belief. It’s the very reason your
organization exists.
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE: THE WHY INSPIRES
The Golden Circle
How most organizations market & communicate:
What:
“Here is our law firm.”
How:
“We have the industry’s most intelligent
lawyers, who graduated from the world’s top schools.
Have you seen our client list? Only from the Fortune
500! And, check out our offices – they are absolutely
pristine.”
Behavior:
“Come do business with our law firm!”

“The problem is that What and How do not
inspire action.  
 
Facts and figures make rational sense, but
people do not make decisions purely based
on facts and figures. Starting with What is
what commodities do. Starting with Why is
what leaders do. Leaders inspire.”

The Inverse
Why:
“We believe in servicing the needs of others
so that they can focus on the difference
they need to make.“
How:
“We do so by bringing on some of the most intelligent legal
professionals who graduated from the world’s top schools. We
work with top performing organizations, most of which are on
the Fortune 500 list, so that we can help them make a larger
difference in the world. And, we like to go above and beyond, so
we have built pristine offices.”
What:
“We are a world-class law firm.
Come see for yourself.”
The Golden Circle

AS IT APPLIES TO APPLE
Apple is well know for it’s role in
creativity and it’s wonderful campaign
messaging which famously charged its
audiences with the task of thinking
differently.
Had their methodology been different,
their messaging may not have resonated
as well over the years.

"We make great computers. They're user friendly, beautifully
designed, and easy to use. Want to buy one?"

We instead want to know why they are great and user
friendly. Turns out Apple has figured this out over the
years and knows better. Here's what a real marketing
message from Apple might actually look like…

"With everything we do, we aim to challenge the status quo. We
aim to think differently. Our products are user friendly,
beautifully designed, and easy to use. We just happen to make
great computers. Want to buy one?"

GREAT EXAMPLES OF
COMPANIES THAT (MUST)
START WITH WHY.

This brands, for example, lead with the culture or feeling associated
with their brand, whether it be inherent in their culture or how they
want you to feel by being a part of it. They happen to offer products
and services similar to (or equal) their competitors, but they win
because they start the conversation with why.

BUILDING TRUST

BUILDING TRUST
So, what’s the connection?
There is a strong, inherent correlation
between why and building trust through
communication and interpersonal
relationships.
Let’s take a look at trust as a feeling.

BUILDING TRUST
Let’s say you’re renting a car.
You’ve picked a particular model to drive for
a weekend getaway, a business trip, or
perhaps your car is in the shop.
In any case, you’re about to get behind the
wheel of a machine you have never driven
before.  
 
Do you trust the car immediately upon
starting it up?

You’re driving on new roads.
You’ve rented a Mustang, with (let’s say)
more horsepower than what you’re used to. 
 
Moreover, the mirrors are positioned
differently and the blind spot over your
right shoulder is a little larger than you’re
accustomed to.
How do you trust the vehicle you’re driving
for the first time?

Not likely.
After hours of driving, behind the same wheel, on the same
streets, comfort and trust build organically.

It’s the same for the skills we all bring to the table in our day-to-day tasks.
Hours, days, months in, brings expert-level support to our clients through
meaningful control of the wheel.

As mentioned, this sense of trust is built in to our cognitive processes — we feel it.
So, what’s the connection to trust and understanding why?

The Golden Circle + Human Brain
32
FIRST WHY. THEN TRUST.
A cross-section of the
human brain shows that its
layout perfectly correlates
with the three major
components of  
The Golden Circle.

33
The outside of the brain is
the Neocortex, which
corresponds with the What
level of The Golden Circle.  
The Neocortex is the newest
brain or Homo sapien brain.
It is responsible for all
rational and analytical
thought and language.

34
The reason why working
from a why-based approach
has an organic, humanizing
response is its direct-
connection to our biological
makeup — the core of our
being.

By working first from why, we are able to immediately build
trust with those we work with, and build relationships with.
It breathes through the work we produce and the evidence of
trust is clearly embedded when why is at the core.

VIDEO LINKS FOR MORE LEARNING.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNSAolUgFYQ&t=402s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llKvV8_T95M&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjxNTcsquG8
“Start With Why”
“If You Don’t Understand People,  
You Don’t Understand Business”
Creative Mornings SD 
“Transparency”

WHY, THANK YOU

"Starting with Why" - Principles of the Golden Circle

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