Operate from the ‘Golden circle’ always!

Simon Sinek is a British-born American author and motivational speaker. His best-selling book ‘Start with Why’ describes a new perspective with the ideas stemming from 3 concentric circles. He introduces the concept of ‘Golden circle’ which acts as a keystone element in the success of great leaders and companies.

In his book, he quotes the example of Apple to explain the phenomenal success and the leadership position sustained by them in a very short period of time. The 3 concentric circles, as applicable to Apple are:

Concentric Circles:

‘WHY’ (The Purpose): We always go against the status quo, thinking differently.

‘HOW’ (The Process): We do this by designing and making simple, user-friendly products.

‘WHAT’ (The Result): The dazzling array of innovative features in their vast range of computing systems, music devices and smart phones.

He supports his research of successful companies with a classic quote “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” All start-ups start from the innermost Golden circle of ‘Why’. But, over a period of time, they get lost in ‘How’s’ and ‘What’s’ while the ‘Why’ becomes fuzzy. Great companies, consistently delivering in the long run, stay cantered and operate from that Golden circle.

Whatever is relevant in the professional work arena can be mapped to our personal life. In the material world of attractions, our mind gets carried away easily by the novelty and variety of sensory experiences. The ‘How’s’ and ‘What’s’ are so powerful that we spend most of our waking time in pursuit of acquisitions. The possessions could be materialistic (objects) or intellectual (knowledge).

Possessions per se are inert and cannot give happiness or cause sorrow. We enjoy or suffer because of the attitude with which we relate to our possessions. At some point in our lives, we get into a situation where we may possess everything externally but still experience a feeling of hollowness, internally. This is a clear symptom of fuzziness in our Golden circle.

We can breathe a fresh meaning into our personal lives, if every thought, word and action can emanate from a crystal clear ‘WHY’. We need to start investing quality time in that Golden circle.