why - Erno Hannink

Start With Why by Simon Sinek book review

About two months ago I watched a great TED video, it was a talk by Simon Sinek. Simon talked about How great leaders inspire action.

From this video I was just blown away by the idea of the golden circle. In my next presentation I included the idea and diagram.
A friend mentioned she had the book and wanted to send it to me. From the moment I received the book I started reading it and kept thinking about the impact for my business. I started thinking about why I did what I did.

This is what I wrote down:

I believe that Independent Professionals can attract clients via the internet
I believe that relationships via the internet are real.
Real relations help you to become more successful.

Where did this come from? In a course about writing articles I came with the posing that people feel that online relationships are not real. Entrepreneurs want to meet the people that they do business with. They want to meet potential customers. They connect with me online and write me a note “Let’s have a cup of coffee and see what we can do for each other.” Or they only connect with people on LinkedIn they have actually met, shaken hands with and exchanged business cards.

This is not necessary you can build real relationships via social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Twitter.

I love the book Start With Why. Simon talks a lot about Apple a lot, because they seem to have an intense connection with Why. Another example Simon uses is South West Airlines.

One thing I am not sure of from the book is the size of the business when the Why is good to use. Simon writes it is not really important for a small company. Since you, the owner of the company, make all the decisions and they are aligned with your Why, your gut. That is true but I also feel that being clear on your why in all your communication will make it easier to grasp as a customer. Put your Why on your website. Start with Why, then How then What. Maybe that can even be the order of your menu in your website.

The book does not give you a step by step how you can find your why. Finding your why is a process of discovery according to Simon.

The Golden Circle

The book is all about the Golden Circle.

The book review in video:

Start With Why by Simon Sinek – book review ErnoHannink from Erno Hannink on Vimeo.

How great leaders inspire action

This was recorded at TEDxPuget Sound September 2009.

Simon published his book “Start With Why” in 2009. There is also a website Start With Why you can order the book via Amazon Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (aff).

A reaction on TED.com:

Belief leads to trust
Trust leads to confidence
Confidence leads to happiness
Happiness leads to love

And we all love to get some LOVE. LOVE from another person and LOVE for what we do.

Why do you do what you do. Love to here the Why for your business, for why you do it all.

This book was sent to me by Brigitte van Tuijl

Why do you want to Twitter?

This is post was inspired by Justin McCullough. Justin is building an ebook about Twitter, for new users to embrace Twitter. He is building it together with other contributors. So feel free to jump in on the Twitter eBook Project. My contribution is about why You want to use Twitter.

At SOBCon 2010 I have first met Justin. It was a great event with many great people. The event is organized by the wonderful Liz Strauss and great Terry Starbucker. Pieter brought my attention to this ebook and there you have it.

What to do
Contribute 300 words or less in the form of best practices, a quote, advice, top 10 list, or blog post.

Purpose
Provide newbies and folks who are struggling to embrace twitter with short, concise, helpful instruction on what twitter is and how to use it. In short, this will help tell folks what we wish they knew about twitter so they are more fun, engaging, and twitter friendly!

So here is my contribution:

Why do you want to Twitter?

What is Twitter – is not very difficult to explain. You can also find great tutorials of How you can use Twitter. The most important question is of course Why you want to use Twitter. If someone is saying “You simply MUST use Twitter.”, let me share with you, they are wrong.

There is no need for you to be on Twitter. Even though it is a lot of fun. It is also one of the most easiest ways to meet new people and to find out if you like them or not. So it is also a very easy way for people to find out if they like you or not. Or better yet if they LOVE you.

Why do you want to use Twitter has a relation with Why you are in business, Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you do what you do? What is it that you bring to this world that makes it a better place for the people around you?

When you have the answer to that “Why?”, Twitter is a great platform to spread your message and find fans. Please remember that your website or blog on your own domain hosted by yourself is your first platform, your hub. Do not build a movement on a platform that is not yours because the risk that it will not be there one day is just to big. Or if the platform changes the rules in a way that does not support your message you should be able to give it up.

Why is Twitter such a great platform? You have only 140 characters to bring your message. Fans or haters have only 140 characters to respond to your message. You have to think about what you want to say because you only have 140 characters. It is easy to write book, but it is difficult to remove enough words so that the book becomes outstanding. So you have to think really hard what you want to say in 140 characters that will touch the people around you.

Reading @lizstrauss‘ tweets you will probably understand what I mean here.

So here is the 3 step plan: