Simon Sinek Quotes

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

Cowards ... cling to the hope that failure will never happen and may be sloppy in the face of danger - not because they don't acknowledge that it exists, but because they are just too afraid of it to look it in the eye.

Outside advice can only tell you how a decision looks. Only you can know how it feels. The best decisions look and feel right.

True love is when both people think they have the better half of the deal.

Great leaders must have two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly.

If the leader of the organization can't clearly articulate WHY the organization exists in terms beyond its products or services, then how does he expect the employees to know WHY to come to work?

In this age of omniconnectedness, words like 'network,' 'community' and even 'friends' no longer mean what they used to. Networks don't exist on LinkedIn. A community is not something that happens on a blog or on Twitter. And a friend is more than someone whose online status you check.

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

Our vision is only actionable if we share it. Without sharing, it's just a figment of our imagination.

The passion to change the world for the better is a more powerful force than defense to keep it the same.

A great leader will never sacrifice the people for the numbers.

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.

Great leaders don't blame the tools they are given. Great leaders work to sharpen them.

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.

More often than not when we do not like our work, it's not necessarily because of the work itself. But more often because of the people we work with and more importantly because of the lack of leadership. It is amazing how inspired and motivated we can be when we like the people and when we feel like we show up to work because our leaders care about our wellbeing. It is kind of incredible actually.

Anyone who achieves any kind of success, however you want to define it, sometimes can't let go of it.

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

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

No matter when or where, always bring your 'A' game, because you never know when it will open doors for you.

Risk deters those who see what they could lose. Those focused on the gain see it as a necessary part of their journey, even if the possibility of loss exists.

If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.

Authenticity is more than speaking; Authenticity is also about doing. Every decision we make says something about who we are.

The difference between those who do and those who don't is that those who don't believe it when they are told they can't.

A small team, committed to a cause bigger than themselves, can achieve absolutely anything.

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.

Ironically, the woman's initial interest may have been generated based on those elements. She agreed to go on the date because her friends told her that Brad was good-looking and that he had a good job and that he knew a lot of famous people. Even though all those things may be true, WHATs don't drive decision-making, WHATs should be used as proof of WHY, and the date plainly fell flat.

Every single organization - or career, for that matter - exists on three levels: WHAT you do, HOW you do it and WHY you do it.

Sometimes spending time with someone who is perceived as 'successful' can make us feel less successful.

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

A five minute call replaces the time it takes to read and reply to the original email and read and reply to their reply ... or replies. And I no longer spend 20+ minutes crafting the perfect email - no need to.

A leader must be inspired by the people before a leader can inspire the people.

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.

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

That's a remarkable concept: 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.

Finding WHY is a process of discovery, not invention.

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

Purpose does not need to involve calculations or numbers. Purpose is about the quality of life. Purpose is human, not economic.

I have friends who are majorly into the cosplay culture and have urged me to go to a convention for no other reason than to meet others like me.

We should never change our minds about where we are going, but always be curious about different ways to get there.

I don't enjoy eating humble pie; it never tastes good. But I do appreciate it when it happens.

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

Wal-Mart's size and scale is so vast they literally have the ability to change the face of the entire country. If Wal-Mart were to make a decision tomorrow to refuse to sell a single product made with partially hydrogenated oils, for example, we'd probably see rates from heart disease decline a few years later. That's how powerful Wal-Mart is.

Leaders don't complain about what's not working. Leaders celebrate what is working and work to amplify it.

Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or so he thought. Patton believed a leader should look and act tough, so he cultivated his image and his personality to match his philosophy.

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

Our survival depends on our ability to form trusting relationships.

It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.

Don't give to get. Give to inspire others to give.

Authorities act with themselves in mind. Leaders act with others in mind. Authorities take. Leaders give. Authorities die. Leaders live on.

Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic.

Actions speak louder than words. All companies say they care, right? But few actually exercise that care.

Never opt for change simply to leave something you don't like. Change works best when you go toward something, even if it is the unknown.

Follow those who follow something bigger than themselves - an idea, a belief, a vision, a cause. Run away from those who say we need to follow them.

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.

Some see risk as a reason not to try. Some see it as an obstacle to overcome. The risk is the same; to try or not depends on your perspective.

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?

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

The reality is that fulfillment, success and all of these good things comes from trying to help those that we care about to achieve those things. How can I help somebody I care about find the job they love? How can I help somebody I care about find happiness in their work? And when we commit to service it actually biologically and anthropologically is more likely to lead to our own success and our own happiness.

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

No one knows everything. But together, we know a whole lot.

The value of emotions comes from sharing them, not just having them.

A leader's job is not to do the work for others, it's to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.

We are only in charge when we are willing to let others take charge.

they didn't examine the problem and accumulate data to figure out the best solution - they engineered the outcome they wanted from the beginning. if they didn't achieve their desired outcome, they understood it was because of a decision they made at the start of a process

Offer your strengths to others and you'll be amazed how many people offer their strengths to you.

Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you - not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.

Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan.

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

Leaders volunteer to go first into danger. Their willingness to sacrifice for us is the reason we're inspired to follow.

Leadership is a choice. It's not a rank, it's a choice. I know many people who are at the top of their organization who have authority. We have to do what they say because they have authority over us. But they're not leaders. We wouldn't follow them. They may be at the top of the company but they're not leaders.

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

We should never let reality interfere with our dreams. Reality can't see what we can see.

The course of time, all of Apple's competitors lost their WHY. Now all those companies define themselves by WHAT they do: we make computers. They turned from companies with a cause into companies that sold products. And when that happens, price, quality, service and features become the primary currency to motivate a purchase decision. At that point a company and its products have ostensibly become commodities. As any company forced to compete on price, quality, service or features alone can attest, it is very hard to differentiate for any period of time or build loyalty on those factors alone.

Leadership is a choice. It is not a rank.

The responsibility of a leader is to provide cover from above for their people who are working below. When the people feel that they have the control to do what's right, even if it sometimes means breaking the rules, then they will more likely do the right thing. Courage comes from above. Our confidence to do what's right is determined by how trusted we feel by our leaders.

Progress is more important than perfection.

During World War II, the pilot losses were staggering. In some bombing raids, as many as 80% of the planes that left did not return.

Trust doesn't develop from always doing the right thing. Trust comes from taking responsibility when we do the wrong thing.

Selfish is easy. It's sharing that takes courage.

The big picture doesn't just come from distance; it also comes from time.

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

Most years, if you were to ask me how much I make, the genuine answer is that I have no clue. I usually find out the answer to that question once a year, at tax time, when my accountant tells me.

Because the work we're doing now is better than the work we were doing six months ago. And the work we'll be doing six months from now will be better than the work we're doing today.

All we have is the undying belief of this one person of a world that exists in the future and his ability to communicate it in a way that lets us imagine it as clearly. All leaders must have two things: they must have a vision of the world that does not exist and they must have the ability to communicate it.

When we accept the fact that we can't do everything, we are more willing to ask for and accept help when we do anything.

Courage isn't inside; it's external. It comes from someone else telling you they believe in you.

No matter how many or how few people you have reporting to you, you must remember that as you climb higher in the ranks, your words will be taken as commands even if you're just thinking out loud.

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.

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

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

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

It's better to have a great team than a team of greats.

A poor leader will tell you how many people work for them. A great leader will tell you how many people they work for.

Trust is maintained when values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep clarity, discipline and consistency in balance, then trust starts to break down.

Systems and processes are essential to keep the crusade going, but they should not replace the crusade.

Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown. They rush toward the danger. They put their own interests aside to protect us or to pull us into the future. Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what is ours. And they would never sacrifice what is ours to save what is theirs. This is what it means to be a leader. It means they choose to go first into danger, headfirst toward the unknown. And when we feel sure they will keep us safe, we will march behind them and work tirelessly to see their visions come to life and proudly call ourselves their followers.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year. Those who forget WHY they were founded show up to the race every day to outdo someone else instead of to outdo themselves. The pursuit, for those who lose sight of WHY they are running the race, is for the medal or to beat someone else.

The leaders who get the most out of their people are the leaders who care most about their people.

It's better to do it than to talk about how perfect it could be.

Bottom line. All companies are in business to make money, but being successful at it is not the reason why things change so drastically. That only points to a symptom. Without understanding the reason it happened in the first place, the pattern will repeat for every other company that makes it big. It is not destiny or some mystical business cycle that transforms successful