Speech Review

How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek

“People don’t buy what you do;
they buy why you do it.”


In his revolutionary TED Talk, author and journalist Simon Sinek explains that great leaders and companies succeed because they can explain the ‘why’ behind what they sell first, and use this to inspire others. This is why companies such as Apple, are able to sell not only computers, but also phones, tablets, music, iPods and more.

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Answering ‘what’ a product does only deals with facts and figures. However, humans are wired to respond to an underlying idea or purpose.

By answering ‘why,’ or sharing the idea behind a product, people are naturally able to understand and connect to a product or service. This allows them to change their own behavior to rally in support of the product or service and eventually make a purchase.

What I really liked about this TED Talk was the immediate applications for the business world, especially as a manager. A true leader is someone we follow not because we have to but because we want to. So, to be a better leader, Simon explained that you have to inspire the people you manage and get them to care about your company’s mission too.

I highly recommend watching this TED Talk as it will help you reframe how you think about business and your relationships with key business stakeholders including employees, customers and colleagues.