Simon Sinek Quotes & Sayings

Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward. — Simon Sinek

A star wants to see himself rise to the top.
A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top. — Simon Sinek

Leaders are the ones who are willing to give up something of their own for us. Their time, their energy, their money, maybe even the food off their plate. When it matters, leaders choose to eat last. — Simon Sinek

I don't enjoy eating humble pie; it never tastes good. But I do appreciate it when it happens. — Simon Sinek

Focus on long term success but be willing to make short term adjustments to get there — Simon Sinek

Offer your strengths to others and you'll be amazed how many people offer their strengths to you. — Simon Sinek

When the WHY Goes, WHAT Is All You'll Have Left — Simon Sinek

Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders - in that order. — Simon Sinek

In the military, they give medals for people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may survive. In business, we give bonuses to people who sacrifice others. — Simon Sinek

The value of experimentation is not the trying. It's the trying again after the experiment fails. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

We don't learn much when everything goes right. We learn the most when things go wrong. — Simon Sinek

Good leadership is like exercise. We do not see any improvement to our bodies with day-to-day comparisons. — Simon Sinek

Academic experts may not be good at doing what they are experts in themselves, but they are good at explaining the subject matter to others. They write books, teach courses and offer lessons and give steps others can follow. — Simon Sinek

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

Leadership is a choice. It's not a rank, it's a choice. I know many people who are at the top of their organization who have authority. We have to do what they say because they have authority over us. But they're not leaders. We wouldn't follow them. They may be at the top of the company but they're not leaders. — Simon Sinek

That's a remarkable concept: only when individuals can trust the culture or organization will they take personal risks in order to advance that culture or organization as a whole. — Simon Sinek

If they had started their sales pitch with WHY the product existed in the first place, the product itself would have become the proof of the higher cause - proof of WHY. — Simon Sinek

When I was a kid, I was a bit of a space geek. I loved the space program and all things NASA. I would read books about our solar system; I had pictures of the Space Shuttle on my bedroom wall. And yes, I even went to Space Camp. — Simon Sinek

All we have is the undying belief of this one person of a world that exists in the future and his ability to communicate it in a way that lets us imagine it as clearly. All leaders must have two things: they must have a vision of the world that does not exist and they must have the ability to communicate it. — Simon Sinek

When they are unclear about your WHY, WHAT you do has no context. Even though — Simon Sinek

Systems and processes are essential to keep the crusade going, but they should not replace the crusade. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

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

Listening is not understanding the words of the question asked, listening is understanding why the question was asked in the first place. — Simon Sinek

And 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. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

Ideas are like dreams; they will disappear unless we record them. Write a book, a blog, build a company, anything that makes the ideas real. — Simon Sinek

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

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. — Simon Sinek

The confident ask questions to learn what will connect. The insecure just keep talking with the hope something will stick. — Simon Sinek

Our vision is only actionable if we share it. Without sharing, it's just a figment of our imagination. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

Quality effective leaders have the confidence to trust others to try, succeed, and sometimes to fail. We very often confuse personality with leadership. In other words, leadership is not about being a nice person or not a nice person. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

Followers want to be taken care of. Leaders want to take care of others. We can all be leaders. — Simon Sinek

Hearing is listening to what is said. Listening is hearing what isn't said. — Simon Sinek

It's better to do it than to talk about how perfect it could be. — Simon Sinek

Instead of asking, "WHAT should we do to compete?" the questions must be asked, "WHY did we start doing WHAT we're doing in the first place, and WHAT can we do to bring our cause to life considering all the technologies and market opportunities available today? — Simon Sinek

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

Is a feeling, not a calculation. It is perception. One — Simon Sinek

Remember, these chemicals control our feelings. That's why we can actually feel the weight of responsibility when others commit time and energy to support us. We want them to feel that the sacrifices they made for us were worth it. We don't want to let them down. We want to make them proud. And if we are the ones giving the support, we feel an equal sense of responsibility. We want to do right by them so that they can accomplish all that they set out to do. It is because of serotonin that we can't feel a sense of accountability to numbers; we can only feel accountable to people. This — Simon Sinek

The worst leaders are the once that think they have to know as much or more than the people who work with them. The best leaders are the once who know that their employees know hell of a lot more than what they know and willing to admit it whilst expressing the value of their employees. — Simon Sinek

Great leaders don't blame the tools they are given. Great leaders work to sharpen them. — Simon Sinek

Greatness starts with a clear vision of the future. — Simon Sinek

Purpose does not need to involve calculations or numbers. Purpose is about the quality of life. Purpose is human, not economic. — Simon Sinek

Great leaders see money as fuel, not a destination. — Simon Sinek

Before we can build the world we want to live in, we have to imagine it. — Simon Sinek

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? — Simon Sinek

Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic. — Simon Sinek

Destructive Abundance is what I call the result of this imbalance. It is what happens when selfish pursuits are out of balance with selfless pursuits. When the levels of dopamine-incentivized behaviors overwhelm the social protections afforded by the other chemicals. When protecting the results is prioritized above protecting those who produce the results. Destructive Abundance happens when the players focus almost exclusively on the score and forget why they set out to play the game in the first place. — Simon Sinek

Humility, I have learned, must never be confused with meekness. Humility is being open to the ideas of others. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

When we can communicate from the inside out, we're talking directly to the part of the brain that controls behavior, and then we allow people to rationalize it with the tangible things we say and do. This is where gut decisions come from. — Simon Sinek

Successful succession is more than selecting someone with an appropriate skill set - it's about finding someone who is in lockstep with the original cause around which the company was founded. Great second or third CEOs don't take the helm to implement their own vision of the future; they pick up the original banner and lead the company into the next generation. That's why we call it succession, not replacement. There is a continuity of vision. — Simon Sinek

If you're not remarkable, you're invisible. — Simon Sinek

The reality is that fulfillment, success and all of these good things comes from trying to help those that we care about to achieve those things. How can I help somebody I care about find the job they love? How can I help somebody I care about find happiness in their work? And when we commit to service it actually biologically and anthropologically is more likely to lead to our own success and our own happiness. — Simon Sinek

Spending too much time focused on others' strengths leaves us feeling weak. Focusing on our own strengths is what, in fact, makes us strong. — Simon Sinek

Let us not attack those who disagree. Let us defend those who follow. — Simon Sinek

Leave America and you'll find that the consumers in many other countries enjoy watching advertising. Not because the products are better, but because the ads are produced to be entertaining. Sometimes they are funny. Sometimes they are dramatic. Sometimes they are just beautiful. — Simon Sinek

If you can clearly articulate the dream or the goal, start. — Simon Sinek

The responsibility of leadership is not to come up with all the ideas but to create an environment in which great ideas can thrive. — Simon Sinek

Mergers are like marriages. They are the bringing together of two individuals. If you wouldn't marry someone for the 'operational efficiencies' they offer in the running of a household, then why would you combine two companies with unique cultures and identities for that reason? — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

A leader's job is not just to get the best out of their people-a leader's job is to make more leaders. — Simon Sinek

I have been inspired by Martin Luther King and how he inspired a movement. I have learned that a cause must be organic; if it is to have an impact it must belong to those who join the movement and not those who lead it. — Simon Sinek

The farther right you go on the curve, the more you will encounter the clients and customers who may need what you have, but don't necessarily believe what you believe. As clients, they are the ones for whom, no matter how hard you work, it's never enough. Everything usually boils down to price with them. They are rarely loyal. They rarely give referrals and sometimes you may even wonder out loud why you still do business with them. "They just don't get it," our gut tells us. The importance of identifying this group is so that you can avoid doing business with them. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

Any parent who tells their kids that they can't attend a school play or go to a soccer match because they have to work is kidding themselves. It's OK to miss a game or two or a performance here and there, but it's not all right to miss the majority of them. — Simon Sinek

Managers watch over our numbers, our time and our results. Leaders watch over us. — Simon Sinek

Entrepreneurs see the thing they want or need, then try to figure out a process of how to get it. People who shouldn't be entrepreneurs see the standard process they need to go through to get the thing they want or need then decide if they want to go through that process. — Simon Sinek

To become an academic expert takes years of studying. Academic experts are experts in how and what others have done. They use case studies and observation to understand a subject. — Simon Sinek

Profit isn't a purpose, it's a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others. — Simon Sinek

Vision is the ability to talk about the future with such clarity it is as if we are talking about the past. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you. — Simon Sinek

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

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. — Simon Sinek

Contents Introduction: Why Start with Why? PART 1: A WORLD THAT DOESN'T START WITH WHY 1. Assume You Know 2. Carrots and Sticks PART 2: AN ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE 3. The Golden Circle 4. This Is Not Opinion, This Is Biology 5. Clarity, Discipline and Consistency PART 3: LEADERS NEED A FOLLOWING 6. The Emergence of Trust 7. How a Tipping Point Tips PART 4: HOW TO RALLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE 8. Start with WHY, but Know HOW 9. Know WHY. Know HOW. Then WHAT? 10. Communication Is Not About Speaking, It's About Listening PART 5: THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS SUCCESS 11. When WHY Goes Fuzzy 12. Split Happens PART 6: DISCOVER WHY 13. The Origins of a WHY 14. The New Competition — Simon Sinek

Don't wait for perfection before you start. Start somewhere so you can have something tangible you can work to perfect. — Simon Sinek

Cigarettes are out. Social media is in. It's the drug of the twenty-first century. (At least people who smoke stand outside together.) Like — Simon Sinek

Stories are attempts to share our values and beliefs. Storytelling is worthwhile when it tells what we stand for. — Simon Sinek

The responsibility of a leader is to provide cover from above for their people who are working below. When the people feel that they have the control to do what's right, even if it sometimes means breaking the rules, then they will more likely do the right thing. Courage comes from above. Our confidence to do what's right is determined by how trusted we feel by our leaders. — Simon Sinek

A great leader will never sacrifice the people for the numbers. — Simon Sinek

A five minute call replaces the time it takes to read and reply to the original email and read and reply to their reply ... or replies. And I no longer spend 20+ minutes crafting the perfect email - no need to. — Simon Sinek

We must be clear about where we're going if we want anyone to help us get there. — Simon Sinek

When people know WHY you do WHAT you do, they are willing to give you credit for everything that could serve as proof of WHY. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

Finding WHY is a process of discovery, not invention. — Simon Sinek

We can rationalize anything and easily quit on ourselves. Leadership is refusing to quit on others. — Simon Sinek

Unless you're an astronaut, it's not the work we do that inspires us either. It's the cause we come to work for. We don't want to come to work to build a wall, we want to come to work to build a cathedral. — Simon Sinek

There are two kinds of experts: academic experts and practical experts. One is not better than the other, but they are very different, and each offers very different value. — Simon Sinek

When leaders care less about their people, their people will be careless. — Simon Sinek

Multi-millionaires who pay half or less than half of the percentage of tax the rest of us pay justify their actions by saying they pay what the law requires. Though true, the fact is they found ways within the law to beat the purpose of the law - which, in the case of taxes, is that we all pay our fair share. — Simon Sinek

Pursue the thing inside us and others will help us. Pursue the things outside us and others will compete with us. — Simon Sinek

If you want to feel happy, do something for yourself. If you want to feel fulfilled, do something for someone else. — Simon Sinek

When I present, I cheat. I only talk about things I care about. — Simon Sinek

Leadership is not communicating what we need. Leadership is communicating what we can contribute. — Simon Sinek

What good is it to have a belly if there's no fire in it? Wake up, drink your passion, light a match and get to work. — Simon Sinek

In physics, the definition of power is the transfer of energy. We measure the power of a lightbulb in watts. The higher the wattage, the more electricity is transferred into light and heat and the more powerful the bulb. Organizations and their leaders operate exactly the same way. The more energy is transferred from the top of the organization to those who are actually doing the job, those who know more about what's going on on a daily basis, the more powerful the organization and the more powerful the leader. — Simon Sinek