What is YOUR Why?
Start with Why! Why? Watch the video on How Great Leaders Inspire Action with Simon Sinek to learn more.
Very few people or small businesses, or companies are able to clearly articulate WHY they do what they do. When Simon asks WHY, he’s not referring to making money—that’s a result. Your WHY is your purpose, cause, or belief. WHY do you exist? Why does your business exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY might anyone care about the work you do?
When most organizations or people think, act, or communicate, they do so from the outside in (from WHAT to WHY). We say WHAT we do, we sometimes say HOW we do it, but we rarely say WHY we do it. But the WHY is the most crucial part of any endeavor or communication.
For example, the WHY of The Optimism Company is to inspire people to do the things that inspire them so that, together, each of us can change our world for the better.
Companies and people know HOW they do what they do and typically communicate these processes clearly. HOWs are often utilized to explain that a product or service is better than a competitor’s—but HOWs have the potential be so much more than that.
Our HOWs are the actions we take when we are at our natural best and are living out our WHY. It’s HOW you bring your WHY to life that makes you and your business unique. As a result, the combination of your WHY and HOWs is like your fingerprint for your business.
Revisiting our example, these are the HOWs of The Optimism Company: keep our offerings simple, adopt an infinite mindset, try to see things from unconventional perspectives, and always find the silver lining.
Every single company and organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. This is true no matter how big or small, and no matter what industry. Everyone is easily able to describe the products or services a company provides or the job function they have within that system. WHATs are easy to identify and important to have, but are less impactful than the WHY.
To round out the example, the WHATs of The Optimism Company are our classes, courses, keynotes, podcast episodes (and so much more) that encourage people to learn and grow their human skills of leadership, communication, and trust.
The inspired leaders—every single one of them, regardless of their industry—think, act, and communicate from the inside out. People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
Watch the video below and consider YOUR Why. Let your why come first before “how” and “what.”
Example:
WHY: Because we aspire for people to be intuitively aware of their choices and corresponding empathy in becoming the ever-evolving authentic and best version of one’s self.
HOW: Generosity, respect, sustainability, community, innovation, intuition, empathy, and inclusive compassion for all beings.
WHAT: We offer classes, workshops, events, a vegan restaurant, festival, books, and other educational media and products. We share the possibility of and seek to live with cleaner air, water, and land, and greater freedom, prosperity, and abundance in all aspects of life. We believe this leads to people making healing and healthy lifestyle choices that inspire inner peace and create world peace.
Vision, the why: Aspiring for people to be intuitively aware of their choices and corresponding empathy in becoming the ever-evolving authentic and best version of one’s self.
Mission, the how and what: Through generosity, respect, sustainability, community, innovation, intuition, empathy, and inclusive compassion for all beings, we offer classes, workshops, and events on a variety of yoga practices, such as asana (postures), meditation, and relaxation. We believe this leads to people making healing and healthy lifestyle choices that inspire inner peace and create world peace.