Sinek Quotes & Sayings

Corporate culture matters. How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything - for better or for worse. — Simon Sinek

The new is threatening to those who have mastered the old. — Simon Sinek

Taking a job for the cash is not as important as taking a job for the joy. — Simon Sinek

You are authentic when everything you say and everything you do you ACTUALLY believe. — Simon Sinek

The irony is, the advertising industry knows everyone hates what they produce. This is why they keep looking for new ways to force people to stay tuned. — Simon Sinek

The courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though you bear the responsibility for getting things done. — Simon Sinek

Your work is your own private megaphone to tell the world what you believe. — Simon Sinek

Givers advance the world. Takers advance themselves and hold the world back — Simon Sinek

Spending time with the military certainly lends itself to some remarkable experiences, and I've been privileged to have had my share. — Simon Sinek

A true friend is someone with whom protocol is no longer necessary. — Simon Sinek

It is better to disappoint people with the truth than to appease them with a lie. — Simon Sinek

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

AUGUST 5, 1981. That's the date it became official. It's rare that we can point to an exact date when a business theory or idea becomes an accepted practice. But in the case of mass layoffs, we can. August 5, 1981, was the day President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers. — Simon Sinek

Over 90% of people go home at the end of the day feeling unfulfilled by their work, and I won't stop working until that statistic is reversed - until over 90% of people go home and can honestly say, 'I love what I do.' — Simon Sinek

Republicans are completely befuddled by Obama's 'star power' and don't seem to have a clear or effective strategy to compete. — Simon Sinek

Those in pursuit of Why are inspired to do what is right. Those in pursuit of What are driven to do what is easy. — Simon Sinek

Look down from as high as possible. Look ahead as far as you can see. Then decide what to do. — Simon Sinek

My sister made certain choices about the life she wanted. Those choices include a steady job, a husband and children. But balance and stability come at a cost. It is harder for her to be spontaneous. It is harder to just up and leave. — Simon Sinek

Be the leader you wish you had. — Simon Sinek

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

To be authentic is to be at peace with your imperfections. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

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

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. — Simon Sinek

Great leaders, in contrast, are able to inspire people to act. Those who are able to inspire give people a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentive or benefit to be gained. — Simon Sinek

The cost of leadership," explains Lieutenant General George Flynn of the United States Marine Corps, "is self-interest. — Simon Sinek

Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times. — Simon Sinek

Leadership is about integrity, honesty and accountability. All components of trust. — Simon Sinek

I'd rather play in the major leagues and have some bad games than play consistently good ball in the minors. — Simon Sinek

Those who are inspired are willing to pay a premium or endure inconvenience, even personal suffering. Those who are able to inspire will create a following of people - supporters, voters, customers, workers - who act for the good of the whole not because they have to, but because they want to. — Simon Sinek

We'd achieve more if we chase the dream instead of the competition. — Simon Sinek

We last longer if we compete against ourselves for the good of others instead of competing against others for the good of ourselves. — Simon Sinek

But no matter how inspiring a dream maybe, a dream that cannot come to life stays a dream. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute. — Simon Sinek

Our reputations do not come from how we talk about ourselves. Our reputations come from how others talk about us. — Simon Sinek

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

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

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

Pilots have their names painted just beneath the canopy of their aircraft. This gives the pilot a sense of ownership for his or her jet. What's more, like cars, each aircraft has its own personality, so it's important for a pilot to get to know and love his aircraft. — Simon Sinek

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

Most people ignore opportunities because they see only danger. Entrepreneurs ignore danger because they see only opportunities. — Simon Sinek

I find, when you're an optimist, life has a funny way of looking after you. — Simon Sinek

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

There is no decision that we can make that doesn't come with some sort of balance or sacrifice. — Simon Sinek

The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today. — Simon Sinek

Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating. — Simon Sinek

Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more. — Simon Sinek

Life changes for the better when we realize that we don't have to know everything and we don't have to pretend we do. — 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

Failure is not tied to money; it is a mindset. Failure is when we accept the lot we are given. — Simon Sinek

Trust has two dimensions: competence and integrity. We will forgive mistakes of competence. Mistakes of integrity are harder to overcome. — Simon Sinek

Every company knows what they do
Some know how they do it
Very few know why — Simon Sinek

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

We should all have an opportunity to feel a part of something not just have a part in something. — Simon Sinek

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. — 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

What we do for others has a direct impact on how we feel about ourselves. — 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

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. — Simon Sinek

I think most people are inherently interested in how their brain works, in what makes them tick. — Simon Sinek

Good marketing speaks to human beings - the way human beings understand and take in information. — 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

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. — Simon Sinek

The Democrats' response throughout the healthcare debate? Give the people more statistics. — 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

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

Innovation is not born from the dream, innovation is born from the struggle — Simon Sinek

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

If you don't understand people, you don't understand business. — Simon Sinek

Poor leaders push us towards the goal. Great leaders guide us through the journey. — Simon Sinek

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. — Simon Sinek

The true value of a leader is not measured by the work they do. A leader's true value is measured by the work they inspire others to do. — Simon Sinek

If no one ever broke the rules, then we'd never advance. — Simon Sinek

If a movement is to have an impact it must belong to those who join it, not those who lead it. — Simon Sinek

Though there are lessons that can be learned about becoming a great leader, most exist inherently in the bellies of those who lead. — Simon Sinek

Pushing yourself to be the best is unsustainable. Simply push yourself to be better than the day before. — Simon Sinek

Self confidence is the ability to exercise restraint in the face of disrespect and still show respect in response. — Simon Sinek

Great leaders give everyone something to believe in,
not something to do. — Simon Sinek

Trust emerges when we have a sense that another person or organization is driven by things other than their own self-gain. — 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

You'll never see the president carry his own luggage, and why? Because even though we know he has luggage, it would reduce his stature if he was too much like us. We need to think of our leaders as being above us, even though they must still relate to us. — Simon Sinek

Leadership is like exercise. Do it everyday, the results take time but you will see them. It's the little things. — Simon Sinek

Success comes when we wake up every day in that never-ending pursuit of why we do what we do. — Simon Sinek

We have no choice, we must all die. How we live, however, is entirely of our choosing. — Simon Sinek

Don't show up to prove. Show up to improve. — Simon Sinek

I don't consider myself an expert in the why. I don't consider myself an expert in leadership. I consider myself a student of leadership and I consider myself a student of the why. I'm constantly learning and I'm constantly looking for opportunities where it it will fail. — Simon Sinek

Bad leaders care about who is right. Good leaders care about what is right — Simon Sinek

We say WHAT we do, we sometimes say HOW we do it, but we rarely say WHY we do WHAT we do. — Simon Sinek

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

Good leadership is hard to measure on a daily basis which is why so many default to doing what's easy to measure instead. — Simon Sinek

Don't give to get. Give to inspire others to give. — Simon Sinek

Leadership isn't answering the questions others ask. Leadership is asking others to answer their own questions. — Simon Sinek

Babe Ruth was not afraid to strike out. And it was this fearlessness that contributed to his remarkable career. — Simon Sinek

A friend is an emotional bond, just like friendship is a human experience. — Simon Sinek

Organizations should say and do the things they ACTUALLY believe. — 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