It Starts with Why? How? What?
Either you have a company, work for a business, or want to start a business there are many
simple questions that can start up a bigger discussion that might be a great start to driving
better sales, branding, and overall market share for anyone really. These simple questions are
very important especially when rebranding a company or really understanding what drives
leadership in any company. This simple idea of the Golden Circle can express why some
organizations and some leaders are able to inspire and some are not.
Many organizations know WHAT they do and HOW they do?
They know what they do because organizations are either selling something like a physical
product, creating amazing experiences, developing new technology and so much more either
way they are all driven to fulfill a need for want. Companies and brands know exactly what they
do and how they do what they do in terms, do they need equipment or do deliver on tasks, or in
the example of service do they need a vessel for a cruise line to have guests experience the
ship and the travel journey with amazing food onboard. Whatever the company, they should
know exactly how they need to do what they do to be a brand and express that brand to the
consumer. It could be the USP, your proprietary processes, or your differentiating propositions
yet you know exactly why you do what you do as an organization. These are all very basic
questions the what and the how and yet the most important is why.
Give Way to the Why
Most of the time when we ask this question, we get the answer of for the profit margin, that is a
result of a company it is not the reason. Just understanding this thought can have a great
impact, that people do not buy what you do they buy why you do it. There are many
shoemakers and distributors in the world, but TOMS is different, why, because they have a
mission or say a vision. Toms’ vision statement is to take “the responsibility of providing for the
comfort of children in impoverished regions worldwide.” In this vision statement, Toms
recognizes the wish and desire of every child to feel comfortable and accepts this call. The
company, therefore, acts as a role model. The goal is to do business with people who believe
what you believe, let’s go further it’s not just to hire people to work for you, it’s to hire people
who believe what you believe. Apple is a great example as well; every year Steve Jobs and now
the new president do these conferences called Apple's Annual Worldwide Developers
Conference WWDC2021 are done yearly where consumers, developers, and techies can attend
sessions and hear all about Apple’s new products. It is basically an all-day commercial, yet it
gives so much insight and reasoning as to why they do what they do. An elaborate way of
showing us (either consumer or trade) that they believe in innovation to better the lives of
everyone and that is there why. Both companies give you a vision, a desire, the leadership and
they answer the question of why they do what they do
Creating to Make an Impact
We need to be asking better questions as a marketer, as a designer or business owner.
Understanding what your clients need breaking things down and asking why they do what they
do can unequivocally create this reaction to change. We need to really think about how we can
create a different relationship between the work and the world, to make an impact on this world.
Bringing value to a business is to create and design which can bring more value to the
humanistic experience. In looking at the law of diffusion trying to market or advertise to the
masses which would be the majority your message would be too broad, try and focus your
efforts on the innovators and the early adopters since they are the leaders, innovators the
masses will follow. Start here at the tipping point by leading as a brand and they will tell their
friends about you and your brand and once they have adapted it, it will spread to the rest of the
curve. Take the challenge of assessing your why because it will be amazing when it happens.
To Risk or Not to Risk
Why stay safe … this is another question to ask. Being safe and slow is risky, especially now
how everything is moving so fast, the safest thing we can do is to take risks and challenges and
move on them quickly and daily, for ourselves and for the companies we lead or develop. You
can challenge the status quo, you can build a culture, be curious, have charisma and commit to
your cause. You make the connections, lead the people as a great leader there are differences
you can make. Leadership does not need permission to do anything it is there waiting for you or
any organization to make it happen
There are 3 reasons to achieve this tipping point to be a leader:
- Understand what you do and why you do it, it is the key
- Design is free put it to work for you. Design can be the glue that puts it all together and
creates innovation. It will bring value to a busines what is created and that can create
more value. - There is a risk in being safe and slow! The safer thing is to do things now to be at the
fringes, to being remarkable and spreading the word quickly as well.
There is a tradition in a Jewish wedding to smash a light bulb: means to start new and make a
difference.
Remembering that leaders do have a position of authority but those you learn inspire us. We
follow those who lead not because we must but because we want to. We follow those who lead
not for them but for ourselves.
References:
Simon Sinek, TEDxPuget, How great leaders inspire action
Yves Béhar, TED 2008, Designing objects that tell stories
Seth Godin, TED 2009, The tribes we lead
Seth Godin, TED2003, How to get your ideas to spread
Kreutzer, R. T. (2019). Vision, Mission, and Goals. In Toolbox for Marketing and
Management (pp. 33-48). Springer, Cham.
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