Simon Sinek quotes

“A boss has the title, a leader has the people.”

“A boss wants to pay for results, an employee wants recognition for effort. If a boss recognizes effort, they will get even better results.”

“A culture is strong when people work with each other, for each other. A culture is weak when people work against each other, for themselves.”

“A leader must be inspired by the people before a leader can inspire the people.”

“A leader’s job is not to do the work for others; it’s to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.”

“A star wants to see himself rise to the top.
A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top.”

“A team is not a group of people that work together. A team is a group of people that trust each other.”

“Achievement happens when we pursue and attain what we want. Success comes when we are in clear pursuit of why we want it.”

“All organizations start with 'why', but only the great ones keep their 'why' clear year after year.”

“Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan.”

“As anyone who starts a business knows, it is a fantastic race. There is a statistic that hangs over your head - over 90 percent of all new businesses fail in the first three years. For anyone with even a bit of competitive spirit in them, especially for someone who defines himself or herself as an entrepreneur, these overwhelming odds of failure are not intimidating, they only add fuel to the fire. The foolishness of thinking that you're a part of the small minority of those who actually will make it past three years and defy the odds is part of what makes entrepreneurs who they are, driven by passion and completely irrational.”

“As the Zen Buddhist saying goes, how you do anything is how you do everything.”

“At well led companies, people talk about the strength of the values. At poorly led companies, people complain about the pay & benefits.”

“Authenticity is more than speaking; Authenticity is also about doing. Every decision we make says something about who we are.”

“Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward.”

“Babe Ruth was not afraid to strike out. And it was this fearlessness that contributed to his remarkable career.”

“Be obsessed with your mission and cause. Not beating your competition.”

“Be the leader you wish you had.”

“Champions are not the ones who always win races – champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. ‘Champion’ is a state of mind. They are devoted. They compete to best themselves as much if not more than they compete to best others. Champions are not just athletes.”

“Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of why. It comes from absolute conviction in an ideal bigger than oneself. Energy, in contrast, comes from a good night’s sleep or lots of caffeine. Energy can excite. But only charisma can inspire. Charisma commands loyalty. Energy does not.”

“Children are better off having a parent who works into the night in a job they love than a parent who works shorter hours but comes home unhappy.”

“Complaining begets more complaints. Anger begets more anger. And optimism begets more optimism.”

“Confidence is believing in yourself. Arrogance is telling others you're better than they are. Confidence inspires. Arrogance destroys.”

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.”

“Don’t freak yourself out by what other people have. They don’t have what you’ve got.”

“Don’t give to get. Give to inspire others to give.”

“Don’t quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can’t see it. Listen to your drum and your drum only. It’s the one that makes the sweetest sound.”

“Don’t show up to prove. Show up to improve.”

“Don’t wait for perfection before you start. Start somewhere so you can have something tangible you can work to perfect.”

“Dream big, start small. But most of all, start.”

“Emails get reactions. Phone calls start conversations.”

“Failure is not tied to money; it is a mindset. Failure is when we accept the lot we are given.”

“Fight against something and you focus on the thing you hate. Fight for something and you focus on the thing you love.”

“Finding why is a process of discovery, not invention.”

“Focus on where you’re going and you’ll know what steps to take. Focus on the steps you’re taking and you won’t know where you’re going.”

“For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not “integrity,” it’s “always do the right thing.” It’s not “innovation,” it’s “look at the problem from a different angle.” Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea - we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.”

“Generosity is doing something for someone else expecting nothing in return.”

“Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. People are either motivated or they are not. Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.”

“Great leaders and great organizations are good at seeing what most of us can’t see. They are good at giving us things we would never think of asking for.”

“Great leaders are those who trust their gut. They are those who understand the art before the science. They win hearts before minds. They are the ones who start with why.”

“Greatness is not born from one success. Greatness is born from persevering through the countless failed attempts that preceded.”

“Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders—in that order.”

“Hire people inspired to achieve something big over people who demand something big before they feel inspired.”

“I cannot tell you on a day to day basis that there’s a return on investment. I can tell you if you stick with it, absolutely in a few months things will start to change. It starts to change slowly. Things start to get a little easier. As the momentum builds it becomes bigger and bigger.”

“I don’t care about convincing the people who think I’m naive or an idiot. I’m interested in how do I inspire the people who are open-minded that there’s a different way of seeing the world.”

“I find, when you’re an optimist, life has a funny way of looking after you.”

“I know if I persist it will pay back in dividends and it always does. What starts to happen is like exercise, the pain goes away. It starts to get easier and the weight starts to get lighter and people start to notice a difference in you and you start to notice a difference in yourself. You find your ability to make decisions is easier; you find you are inspired more often. You find your success increases. You find that your random moments when you’re in the flow are no longer random and you can control them. Other people notice the difference.”

“I know of no case study in history that describes an organization that has been managed out of a crisis. Every single one of them was led.”

“I’d rather play in the major leagues and have some bad games than play consistently good ball in the minors.”

“If everything goes right, we get a good experience. If everything goes wrong, we get a good story.”

“If no one ever broke the rules, then we’d never advance.”

“If our leaders are to enjoy the trappings of their position in the hierarchy, then we expect them to offer us protection. The problem is, for many of the overpaid leaders, we know that they took the money and perks and didn’t offer protection to their people. In some cases, they even sacrificed their people to protect or boost their own interests. This is what so viscerally offends us. We only accuse them of greed and excess when we feel they have violated the very definition of what it means to be a leader.”

“If the leader of the organization can’t clearly articulate why the organization exists in terms beyond its products or services, then how does he expect the employees to know WHY to come to work?”

“If you can clearly articulate the dream or the goal, start.”

“If you care, do something. If you don’t care, please stay out of the way of those who do.”

“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

“If you want to achieve anything in this world, you have to get used to the idea that not everyone will like you.”

“If you want to be a great leader, remember to treat all people with respect at all times. For one, because you never know when you’ll need their help. And two, because it’s a sign you respect people, which all great leaders do.”

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

“Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle.”

“Innovators are the ones whose dreams are clearer than the reality that tells them they're crazy.”

“Integrity is when our words and deeds are consistent with our intentions.”

“Intelligence looks for what is known to solve problems. Creativity looks for what is unknown to discover possibilities.”

“It is better to disappoint people with the truth than to appease them with a lie.”

“It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.”

“It’s better to have a great team than a team of greats.”

“It’s important to slow down, every now and then, for no other reason than to call someone to say ‘Hi.’ It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Just calling out of the blue does more to let someone know you still care about them than nearly anything else.”

“Knowledge is understanding based on what has been studied and learned. Wisdom is understanding based on what has been felt and experienced.”

“Leaders are the ones who have the courage to go first, to put themselves at personal risk to open a path for others to follow.”

“Leadership is about integrity, honesty and accountability. All components of trust.”

“Leadership is always about people.”

“Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more.”

“Leadership is not a rank or a position, it is a choice – a choice to look after the person to the left of us & the person to the right of us.”

“Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.”

“Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.”

“Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.”

“Let us not attack those who disagree. Let us defend those who follow.”

“Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet.”

“More information is always better than less. When people know the reason things are happening, even if it’s bad news, they can adjust their expectations and react accordingly. Keeping people in the dark only serves to stir negative emotions.”

“Most of us live our lives by accident—we live as it happens. Fullfillment comes when we live our lives on purpose.”

“Most people ignore opportunities because they see only danger. Entrepreneurs ignore danger because they see only opportunities.”

“Never opt for change simply to leave something you don’t like. Change works best when you go toward something, even if it is the unknown.”

“No matter when or where, always bring your ‘A’ game, because you never know when it will open doors for you.”

“No one knows everything. But together, we know a whole lot.”

“One of the greatest things you can do is give your time and energy – things you will never get back.”

“Optimists focus on the place they are going. Pessimists focus on the obstacles along the route. To become an optimist simply look ahead.”

“Our need to belong is not rational, but it is a constant that exists across all people in all cultures.”

“Our reputations do not come from how we talk about ourselves. Our reputations come from how others talk about us.”

“Our visions are the world we imagine, the tangible results of what the world would look like if we spent every day in pursuit of our why.”

“Outside advice can only tell you how a decision looks. Only you can know how it feels. The best decisions look and feel right.”

“Panic causes tunnel vision. Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily assess the situation and see the options.”

“Passion alone can't cut it. For passion to survive it needs structure. A why without how has little probability of success.”

“People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

“Profit isn’t a purpose, it’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others.”

“Progress and innovation happen when you set unrealistic goals.”

“Pushing yourself to be the best is unsustainable. Simply push yourself to be better than the day before.”

“Putting yourself first is not selfish. Quite the opposite. You must put your happiness and health first before you can be of help to anyone else.”

“Regardless of what we do in our lives, our why—our driving purpose, cause or belief—never changes.”

“Returning from work feeling inspired, safe, fulfilled and grateful is a natural human right to which we are all entitled and not a modern luxury that only a few lucky ones are able to find.”

“Risk deters those who see what they could lose. Those focused on the gain see it as a necessary part of their journey, even if the possibility of loss exists.”

“Safe is good for sidewalks and swimming pools, but life requires risk if we are to get anywhere.”

“Self confidence is the ability to exercise restraint in the face of disrespect and still show respect in response.”

“Simple ideas are easier to understand. Ideas that are easier to understand are repeated. Ideas that are repeated change the world.”

“Some in management positions operate as if they are in a tree of monkeys. They make sure that everyone at the top of the tree looking down sees only smiles. But all too often, those at the bottom looking up see only asses.”

“Some people are born good-looking. Some have the gift of gab. And some are lucky enough to be born smarter than the rest of us. Whether we like it or not, Mother Nature does not dole these characteristics out evenly.”

“Some see risk as a reason not to try. Some see it as an obstacle to overcome. The risk is the same; to try or not depends on your perspective.”

“Some would argue that you’re as successful as the company you keep. Certainly there is a connection between our friends and who we are.”

“Spending too much time focused on others’ strengths leaves us feeling weak. Focusing on our own strengths is what, in fact, makes us strong.”

“Stand for people. Not a product or service or metric or number. If we stand for real, living, breathing people, we will change the world.”

“Stress and anxiety at work have less to do with the work we do and more to do with weak management and leadership.”

“That’s the problem with love; we only know when we’ve found it because it just feels right.”

“The ability of a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people pull together as a team.”

“The art of leadership is about inspiring people to build something not threatening to break something.”

“The difference between those who do and those who don’t is that those who don’t believe it when they are told they can’t.”

“The future is only scary if we try to avoid it.”

“The goal is not simply for you to cross the finish line, but to see how many people you can inspire to run with you.”

“The goal is not simply to ‘work hard, play hard.’ The goal is to make our work and our play indistinguishable.”

“The goal is not to be perfect by the end, the goal is to be better today.”

“The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.”

“The goal of life is not to have our lives mean something to ourselves. The goal of life is to have our lives mean something to others.”

“The great leaders are not the strongest, they are the ones who are honest about their weaknesses. The great leaders are not the smartest; they are the ones who admit how much they don’t know. The great leaders can’t do everything; they are the ones who look to others to help them. Great leaders don’t see themselves as great; they see themselves as human.”

“The greatest contribution of a leader is to make other leaders.”

“The hardest part is starting. Once you get that out of the way, you’ll find the rest of the journey much easier.”

“The more you inspire, the more people will inspire you.”

“The most effective leaders are actually better at guarding against danger when they acknowledge it that it exists. Cowards, in contrast, cling to the hope that failure will never happen and may be sloppy in the face of danger – not because they don’t acknowledge that it exists, but because they are just too afraid of it to look it in the eye.”

“The next time someone starts listing all the reasons an idea won’t work or can’t happen, ask them to give three reasons it can.”

“The only time I waste is time I spend doing something that, in my gut, I know I shouldn’t. If I choose to spend time playing video games or sleeping in, then it’s time well spent, because I chose to do it. I did it for a reason – to relax, to decompress or to feel good, and that was what I wanted to do.”

“The only way people will know what you believe is by the things you say and do, and if you’re not consistent in the things you say and do, no one will know what you believe.”

“The only way to ‘find out if it will work out’ is to do it.”

“The primary ingredient for progress is optimism. The unwavering belief that something can be better drives the human race forward.”

“The rank of office is not what makes someone a leader. Leadership is the choice to serve others with or without any formal rank.”

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”

“The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”

“The value of networking is not measured by the number of people we meet but by the number of people we introduce to others.”

“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.”

“There are many ways to motivate people to do things, but loyalty comes from the ability to inspire people.”

“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”

“There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.”

“There is a difference between working together and working in the same office.”

“Though we may have desires or bold goals, for whatever reason, most of us don’t think we can achieve something beyond what we’re qualified to achieve. Why, I ask, do we let reality interfere with our dreams?”

“To spend more money, you have to have more money, but time is fixed and we all have the same amount to spare. How we choose to spend it can make a significant difference on the impact we have in our careers or in the world.”

“To succeed takes more than the desire to win. It also takes the acceptance that we could fail.”

“Too many people confuse being rich or famous with being a leader. Wealth and fame are byproducts not qualifications to lead.”

“True love is when both people think they have the better half of the deal.”

“Trust is maintained when values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep clarity, discipline and consistency in balance, then trust starts to break down.”

“Trust is not formed through a screen, it is formed across a table. It takes a handshake to bind humans and no technology yet can replace that. There is no such thing as virtual trust.”

“Under poor leaders we feel like we work for the company. With good leaders we feel like we work for each other.”

“Value is not determined by those who set the price. Value is determined by those who choose to pay it.”

“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do. By why I mean your purpose, cause or belief. Why does your company exist? Why do you get out of bed every morning? And why should anyone care?”

“Vision is the ability to talk about the future with such clarity it is as if we are talking about the past.”

“We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us.”

“We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it.”

“We can teach only if we are willing to learn.”

“We crave explanations for most everything, but innovation and progress happen when we allow ourselves to embrace uncertainty.”

“We don’t learn much when everything goes right. We learn the most when things go wrong.”

“We have no choice, we must all die. How we live, however, is entirely of our choosing.”

“We last longer if we compete against ourselves for the good of others instead of competing against others for the good of ourselves.”

“We make decisions based on what we think we know.”

“We must all try to empathise before we criticise. Ask someone what’s wrong before telling them they are wrong.”

“We should invest in people not ideas. A good idea is often destroyed by bad people and good people can always make a bad idea better.”

“We should never let reality interfere with our dreams. Reality can’t see what we can see.”

“What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.”

“What you do simply proves what you believe.”

“When a leader embraces their responsibility to care for people instead of caring for numbers, then people will follow, solve problems and see to it that that leader’s vision comes to life the right way, a stable way and not the expedient way.”

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.”

“When we break eye contact to check our phones we degrade trust. Let’s keep our phones away from meals & meetings.”

“When we have a clear sense of our destination, we can be flexible in the route we take to reach it.”

“When we help ourselves, we find moments of happiness. When we help others, we find lasting fulfillment.”

“When we help ourselves, we find moments of happiness. When we help others, we find lasting fulfillment.”

“When we point to obstacles we inhibit progress. When we offer solutions we advance.”

“When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.”

“When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.”

“When you explain to people what you’re trying to do, as opposed to just making demands or delegating tasks, you can build instant trust, even if it’s just for that short time you’re on the phone.”

“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion.”

“Would anybody be offended if we gave a $150 million bonus to Gandhi? How about a $250 million bonus to Mother Teresa? Do we have an issue with that? None at all. Great leaders would never sacrifice the people to save the numbers. They would sooner sacrifice the numbers to save the people.”

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

“You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.”