Simon Sinek & The Golden Circle

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    Simon Sinek delivers a powerful speech about leadership, values, and human behavior in his TED Talk, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action". He discusses what makes certain brands and leaders "innovative" using his "Golden Circle" visual (as shown below). According to Sinek, the direction in which brands and leaders communicate (inside, out or outside, in) determines their success. A leader will be more successful when they go from their "Why", their beliefs, and their purpose rather than "What" their selling or doing.


      When Sinek was describing the idea that human behavior is driven from beliefs and purpose, I agreed with him. When someone feels like their beliefs are being validated by a company or leader, they are going to follow through and support that group or person. He discusses the nature of human biology and how the brain works in the same way this Golden Circle operates in the sense that behavior is only driven from belief, not from "what" you do. He gives the great example of when a company is hiring someone, hiring someone who shares the same belief as you is going to result in a loyal employee who works "blood, sweat, and tears". Human behavior is so interesting in that it can all be tied to the brain and how it operates. When certain parts are activated or affected, it drives a person to behave in certain ways. 

    This conversation about The Golden Circle does resonate with me as an educator. Teachers in the United States really have to be driven by a "Why" because the profession is not designed to get very much monetary compensation or just your "day job". My belief is that students learn when they have teachers that care for them and put in effort to ensure their success in whatever they choose to do. When teachers have a "why" that is about making their students successful, this leads to students feeling capable and challenged. If teachers had the "It's just my day job" mentality, students would feel this and act accordingly, as well. This correlates with Sinek's view that when leaders lead with their beliefs rather than their "product" they are more successful.

Comments

  1. Christina CJuly 9, 2020 at 6:09 PM

    Hi Carly, I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that teachers are a truly dedicated bunch that are driven by helping others and in order to get the emotional reward of making a difference in a young person's life. I think that sometimes that alone is more powerful and meaningful than compensation. People have to figure out what their passion is in life so that their work does not feel like their job. I also agree that the brain research is fascinating.

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  2. LesleyJuly 11, 2020 at 5:47 AM

    I am glad this resonated... reading it over the weekend means that you had a chance to think about your beliefs BEFORE Sinek gave a name to this framework (golden circle, find your why, etc). Nicely explained here. If you haven't already, go read Katie's blog for a smart and sharp critique of Sinek, as well!

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