Golden Circle Review: Finding Your ‘Why’ and Inspiring Others

Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle is that framework, more or less, that’s captured the minds of people in business, leadership, and even personal development. The core idea is that folks are more likely to connect with, to want to purchase from, and become loyal to a business or person that communicates their “Why,” so the purpose or belief, first, before mentioning “How,” you know, so the process, and finally, “What,” basically, the product or service. It’s just a pretty simple model, so it consists of three concentric circles – Why, How, and What – with ‘Why’ at the center, arguably shaping outward communication.

The Core Concept: Start With Why

The whole premise of the Golden Circle, more or less, circles back to how our brains, too, process information and, arguably, respond to calls to action. Sinek argues, rightly so, that communicating from the outside in – What, How, then Why – that doesn’t actually resonate because it doesn’t appeal to that part of the brain that influences behavior, you see, the limbic brain. This part, you know, is all about feelings, trust, and decision-making, so it doesn’t process language the same way that outer ‘What’ circle does.

Instead, for example, leading with Why is a bit like, very much like, speaking directly to this part of the brain, for instance, and igniting inspiration, very much encouraging people to take action. A good case, for example, might be Apple, arguably one of the companies Sinek often points to. They don’t kick things off by shouting out about how they manufacture tech gadgets – their computers and phones and stuff. Their ‘Why’ tends to be all that disruption to the status quo, so very much about challenging conventional thinking, and this taps into their consumer base in a really different, potentially more powerful, way. Think ‘Different’ slogan, which sums that up beautifully.

Breaking Down the Golden Circle: Why, How, What

Alright, so it seems to be good to examine what each of those sections in the Golden Circle is like. ‘Why’ can seem like a fluffy concept but it’s really about the core of your values and aims, just really about pinning down your fundamental reasons to be in the game, actually your reason for existing in a business sense, arguably, or even as a person.

‘How’, that is, is about the ways you reach those ‘Why’ aspirations, more or less, that is, the things which cause you to stick out or make people choose you rather than, you know, some rival out there. ‘What’ it is pretty simple, in a way, is about exactly what you’re offering. It can be whatever product, the facility you run, or the things that you are putting on the table for consumption. You can see that without the Why and the How bits being understood fully, What loses power. You may want to check out some real-world scenarios to help you see how everything joins up.

Golden Circle Examples in Practice

One of the, you know, instances that everyone brings up in discussing the Golden Circle that happens to be the marketing tactic of Apple, who appear to have cracked it in marketing using emotional influence rather than logical argumentation. If Apple acted like most people or brands, too, it could well come across something similar to that. So, “We create amazing machines: They happen to be simple to operate and attractive. Want to purchase one?”. It would be factually true but might fall flat because, you see, it’s outside-in rather than heart-first. Compare that to Apple actually, who would phrase their messaging something similar to: “Everything we do here is really about upsetting the apple cart. We are challenging things to be different. One way we make that happen, that is, is really because our devices are made nicely and pretty simple to handle. And, perhaps, that is where we finish, as it happens, in producing excellent technology. Would you like one?”. Do you spot the huge contrast with those?

Or, in a way, just perhaps, you might reflect upon that method as regards charitable endeavors. Think of one such as a clean water campaign, more or less. They probably are going to avoid going straight for the “purchase the product, make things happen” message since this is all around people acting for something above and beyond just the buying action.

Maybe their messaging goes, maybe it goes like that: “Most people around the world, typically, just lack fresh water”. And you would respond maybe asking something similar to, such as, “So what?” It may be way better in speaking along the ways of things that the charitable organizations exist in disrupting how the norm does business. It could, too it’s almost, come around something akin to “Here we think, that is, that everyone is worthy of having some nice fresh, healthy, water.”. Following that by some further data and how people, that is, are helped due to buying products from them causes, actually, a considerably extra influence on that possible buyer rather than taking their money straight. It seems as though that by giving importance to the Why factor, it drives emotional engagement.

Benefits and Criticisms of the Golden Circle

The key strengths regarding implementing a Golden Circle kind of thinking, arguably, relate, somewhat, to those fields surrounding the creation of stronger customer engagement with organizations. Just see it being about loyalty because the organization appears to show people things which are connected closer than stuff simply concerning its own business. Actually, individuals become aligned by their Why and those emotions. Furthermore, there exists probably increased marketing, too it’s almost, efficiencies for individuals being connected toward an organization being very receptive toward receiving promotional resources regarding their offerings, leading to more cost reductions during communications as there exist receptive readers.

A few folk aren’t as certain around a Golden Circle being flawless, anyway, and point toward its over-simplified format being less great whenever thinking around complex matters in reality. Maybe there seems to be, maybe there’s too much centering upon an individual firm without properly reflecting the entire marketplace. Also, you may see problems because what a leader describes and intends turns out to have been somewhat other than what genuinely occurs inside that business which can, too, it’s almost, lead individuals to be confused around some brand values there. So those reasons are definitely really relevant considerations whenever determining if applying a Golden Circle strategy.

Applying the Golden Circle to Your Own Endeavors

Right, so for yourself personally, too, maybe you could begin adopting that process, you see, from a personal standpoint as opposed to simply a commercial sense, anyway. So, a very good opener might actually consist around, perhaps, discovering just what happens to have become the driving influence inside your professional existence.

Pinpointing a sense of something in this world needing tweaking, definitely the place where one can really make the differences shows an appropriate opening whenever beginning applying what makes everything really tick regarding how to bring a concept like what forms, perhaps, the essence of your Golden Circle itself, so to assist everyone in aligning every step. Arguably after assessing exactly why it is important, one then assesses just how one expects getting toward these achievements ahead of beginning implementing everything onto the global consumer audience. See exactly what is important before focusing concerning those marketing strategies. You are likely see results being extra effective just by simply working with individual intentions beforehand.