Simon Sinek Quotes

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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?”

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

“Leadership is always about people.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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?”

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