Why did I read this book?
I read this book because I adored “leaders eat last.” I then read “start with why,” which had some
highlights but was a far cry from “leaders eat last.” Wow what a disappointment “find your why,” was.
The best part of this book was that it included ample room for me to write down music I liked while
reading it and riding the bike (and listening to KC radio). I still think Sinek is a talented writer, however
this book feels very forced and is trying to extend the popularity of “find your why,” by exploiting its
core concepts in different ways. Put plainly, this book was terrible.
What was this book about?
This book includes a solid discussion of why you need discover the power of asking “why,” but it is
mostly an instruction manual on how to provide workshops for discovering your companies WHY (or
origin story).
At its core, the WHY is an origin story. By looking to our past and teasing out the most significant
threads – the experiences we’ve had, the people we’ve been influenced by, the lives we have touched
and the highs and lows we’ve faced – we can identify patterns. For individuals WHY is fully formed in our
late teens. To Uncover WHY we must bring together our standout memories, our defining moments, and
examine them to find the connections. For companies, the WHY also comes from the past, either the
origin story of how the company was founded or from specific stories shared by other members of the
company.
The book highlights the need for being a good listener (no kidding??? ha). It also discusses the need to
figure out what and how of your personal or company story.
What did I learn from this book?
I wish I could say I learned more from this book…. but I really didn’t. I did have an epiphany while
reading this book…. I did gain a better understanding of what exactly the WHY is? It is something that
elicits an emotion. It comes from the limbic part of your brain (that is neat).
