The following contains excepts from the book, Start With Why (Simon Sinek).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. When discussing the subject of relationships, the understanding of the role Leadership plays is of paramount importance.
This is a book that deals with the prioritization of motive. His ‘Golden Circle’ philosophy deals with the three interrogatives: Why, How, and What, in that order. He analogizes this to a triangle, the top of which (in the corporate ladder) is the leader with the vision, the next layer down are those who know how to carry out the leader’s vision, and finally the lowest layer being those who do the work. Carrying this analogy further, he puts the triangle into a three-dimensional space and turns it into a cone, or in his picture, a megaphone. The leader initiates the vision, then the vision becomes amplified throughout the rest of the expanding cone. The challenge to any organization is, when it grows and becomes successful, the initial vision does not get lost or compromised.
Sinek gives examples of contemporary corporate structures that have succeeded and failed. Discussing the differences, he reveals that the companies which succeeded did so not because their product was that much better than their competitors, but rather because they were clear about their motivation for their product or service. This motivation is sensed by the consumer and is conveyed as a message from the top of the organization all the way to the bottom of the organization. Instead of manipulation tactics to sell, successful companies, rather, provide a vision for people to connect with. They are not trying to sell to everyone, but rather to find people who want to connect with their core reason for existence.
Most companies skip over the Why, and only focus on How and What, but they do so to their own demise. Having a fuzzy or nonexistent Why is the surest way to fail. Recovering a lost Why is the first step toward reinvigorating a company, or any other institution. Or, for that matter, an individual.
“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. Those who truly lead are able to create a following of people who act not because they were swayed, but because they were inspired. For those who are inspired, the motivation to act is deeply personal. They are less likely to be swayed by incentives. 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.”
We endeavor to give students in our music school in Odessa, Texas a sense of purpose, knowing that music and the arts have intrinsic values to influence our communities and culture towards positive results.
“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you r can manipulate it or you can inspire it…Real innovation changes the course of industries or even society…Novelty can drive sales- but the impact does not last.”
“I cannot dispute that manipulations work…But there are trade-offs. Not a single one of them breeds loyalty. Over the course of time, they cost more and more. The gains are only short-term. And they increase the level of stress for both buyer and the seller…Leadership requires people to stick with you through thick and thin. Leadership is the ability to rally people not for a single event, but for years. In business, leadership means that customers will continue to support your company even when you slip up.”
“Manipulations work, but they coast money. Lots of money. When the money is not as available to fund those tactics, not having a loyal following really hurts…Knowing you have a loyal customer and employee base not only reduces costs, it provides massive peace of mind. Like loyal friends, you know your customers and employees will be there for you when you need them most.”
“WHY: Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money- that’s a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief? WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?”
“People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.”
The reasons we believe studying music and the arts is important, at our music school in Odessa, Texas are many. Among some are: Community Awareness through ensemble playing, Discipline and Personal Sacrifice to achieve goals, and Heightened Capacity for thinking, through the simultaneous learning styles of Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic.
“In all cases, going back to the original purpose, cause or belief will help these industries to adapt. 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?’”
“When we communicate from the outside in, when we communicate WHAT we do first, yes, people can understand vast amounts of complicated information, like facts and features, but it does not drive behavior.”
“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.”
“Once you know WHY you do what you do, the question is HOW will you do it? HOWs are your values or principles that guide HOW to bring your cause to life. HOW we do things manifests in the systems and processes within an organization and the culture. Understanding HOW you do things and, more importantly, having the discipline to hold the organization and all its employees accountable to those guiding principles enhances an organization’s ability to work to its natural strengths.”
“Everything you say and everything you do has to prove what you believe. A WHY is just a belief. That’s all it is. HOWs are the actions you take to realize that belief. And WHATs are the results of those actions- everything you say and do: your products, services, marketing, PR, culture and whom you hire. If people don’t buy WHAT you do but WHY you do it, then all these things must be consistent. With consistency people will see and hear, without a shadow of a doubt, what you believe. After all, we live in a tangible world.”
“It is the WHAT level that authenticity happens…What authenticity means is that your Golden Circle is in balance. It means that everything you say and everything you do you actually believe. This goes for management as well as employees.”
“When WHY, HOW, and WHAT are in balance, authenticity is achieved and the buyer feels fulfilled. When they are out of balance, stress or uncertainty exists. When that happens, the decisions we make will also be out of balance. Without WHY, the buyer is easily motivated by aspiration or fear.”
“When you know your WHY, the highest level of confidence you can offer is, ‘I know it’s right.’ When you know the decision is right, not only does it feel right, but you can also rationalize it and easily put it into words. The decision is fully balanced. The rational WHATs offer proof for the feeling of WHY. If you can verbalize the feeling that drove the gut decision, if you can clearly state your WHY, you’ll provide a clear context for those around you to understand why that decision was made. If the decision is consistent with the facts and figures, then those facts and figures serve to reinforce the decision- this is balance.”
“The goal of business should not be to do business with anyone who simply wants what you have. It should be to focus on the people who believe what you believe. When we are selective about doing business only with those who believe in our WHY, trust emerges.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music plays a vital role in society, to help people understand how to communicate, express their emotions successfully, and to come together in community in a symbiotic way that fosters positive relationships.
“The drive to win is not, per se, a bad thing. Problems arise, however, when the metric becomes the only measure of success, when what you achieve is no longer tied to WHY you set out to achieve it in the first place.
“If the people aren’t looking out for the community, then the benefits of a community erode.”
“Historically, trust has played a bigger role in advancing companies and societies than skill set alone…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. For no other reason than, in the end, it’s good for their own personal health and survival.”
“Great organizations become great because the people inside the organization feel protected. The strong sense of culture creates a sense of belonging and acts like a net. People come to work knowing that their bosses, colleagues and the organization as a whole will look out for them. This results in reciprocal behavior. Individual decisions, efforts and behaviors that support, benefit and protect the long-term interest of the organization as a whole.”
“Trust matters. Trust comes from being a part of a culture or organization with a common set of values and beliefs. Trust is maintained when the values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep their Golden Circle in balance- clarity, discipline and consistency- then trust starts to break down…The company must serve those whom they wish to serve it.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we endeavor to establish trusting relationships between students, teachers, parents and the community, overall.
“Passion comes from feeling like you are a part of something that you believe in, something bigger than yourself. If people do not trust that a company is organized to advance the WHY, then the passion is diluted.”
We believe passion is a by-product of sound teaching, discipline, focus, and a sense of purpose, at our music school in Odessa, Texas. We hope to impart not only lessons in understanding music and the arts, but also life-enriching mindsets and comprehensive lessons that apply to all aspects of the student’s life and future.