From the author of Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek, people all over the world have had so much to learn over the years.

Simon Sinek

From growing as an individual, as an entrepreneur to simply looking to live a better life and inspiring others to do the same, Simon’s words have impacted people’s lives all over the world and it is with great joy that I introduce him to you through just a small portion of the many life-changing lessons you too could learn from him.

Ready?

36 Life-Changing Lessons to Learn from Simon Sinek

1. Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.

“Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.”~ Simon Sinek

2 The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”~ Simon Sinek

3. Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times.

“Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times.”~ Simon Sinek

4. The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own.

“The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”~ Simon Sinek

5. Tell people to do their job and you get workers. When you trust people to get the job done, you get leaders.

“When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.”~ Simon Sinek

6. Managing dangers from inside an organization makes it less able to face dangers from outside.

“When the people have to manage dangers from inside the organization, the organization itself becomes less able to face the dangers from outside.”~ Simon Sinek

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

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion.”~ Simon Sinek

8. When you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.

“When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.”~ Simon Sinek

9. You are a leader if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”~ Simon Sinek

10.It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.

“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.”~ Simon Sinek

11. All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.

“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.”~ Simon Sinek

12. Energy can excite. But only charisma can inspire. Charisma commands loyalty. Energy does not.

“Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of WHY. It comes from absolute conviction in an ideal bigger than oneself. Energy, in contrast, comes from a good night’s sleep or lots of caffeine. Energy can excite. But only charisma can inspire. Charisma commands loyalty. Energy does not.”~ Simon Sinek

13. Infinite-minded leaders understand that “best” is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be “better.”

“Infinite-minded leaders understand that “best” is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be “better.” “Better” suggests a journey of constant improvement and makes us feel like we are being invited to contribute our talents and energies to make progress in that journey.”~ Simon Sinek

14. Leaps of greatness require the combined problem-solving ability of people who trust each other.

“Leaps of greatness require the combined problem-solving ability of people who trust each other.”~ Simon Sinek

15. Greatness is born from persevering through the countless failed attempts that preceded.

“Greatness is not born from one success. Greatness is born from persevering through the countless failed attempts that preceded.”~ Simon Sinek

16. We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it.

“We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it.”~ Simon Sinek

17. The goal is not simply for you to cross the finish line, but see how many people you can inspire to run with you.

“The goal is not simply for you to cross the finish line, but to see how many people you can inspire to run with you.”~ Simon Sinek

18. Human behaviour can be influence in two way: manipulate it or inspire it.

“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”~ Simon Sinek

19. Integrity is when our words and deeds are consistent with our intentions.

“Integrity is when our words and deeds are consistent with our intentions.”~ Simon Sinek

20. Infinite thinking is asking “What’s best for us?” instead of “What’s best for me?”

“To ask, “What’s best for me” is finite thinking. To ask, “What’s best for us” is infinite thinking.”~ Simon Sinek

21. Our need to belong is not rational but it is constant across all cultures.

“Our need to belong is not rational, but it is a constant that exists across all people in all cultures.”~ Simon Sinek

22. Fulfilment comes when you live your life on purpose, not by accident.

“Most of us live our lives by accident—we live as it happens. Fulfilment comes when we live our lives on purpose.”~ Simon Sinek

23. The only way people will know what you believe is by the things you say and do.

“The only way people will know what you believe is by the things you say and do, and if you’re not consistent in the things you say and do, no one will know what you believe.”~ Simon Sinek

24. There are many ways to motivate people to do things, but loyalty comes from the ability to inspire people.

“There are many ways to motivate people to do things, but loyalty comes from the ability to inspire people.”~ Simon Sinek

25. Feelings can be tremendously difficult to express in words, so that’s why we use metaphors and analogies.

“There’s just one problem with feelings. They can be tremendously difficult to express in words. That’s the reason we so often resort to metaphors and analogies.”~ Simon Sinek

26. Our visions are the world we imagine.

“Our visions are the world we imagine, the tangible results of what the world would look like if we spent every day in pursuit of our WHY.”~ Simon Sinek

27. The opportunity is to build the perfect company for each other.

“The opportunity is not to discover the perfect company for ourselves. The opportunity is to build the perfect company for each other.”~ Simon Sinek

28. For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs.

“For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not “integrity,” it’s “always do the right thing.” It’s not “innovation,” it’s “look at the problem from a different angle.” Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea … we”~ Simon Sinek

29. The true value of an organization is measured by the desire others have to contribute to that organization’s ability to keep succeeding.

“The true value of an organization is measured by the desire others have to contribute to that organization’s ability to keep succeeding, not just during the time they are there, but well beyond their own tenure.”~ Simon Sinek

30. You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”~ Simon Sinek

31. There is a difference between giving directions and giving direction.

“There is a difference between giving directions and giving direction.”~ Simon Sinek

32. The goal is not to be perfect by the end, the goal is to be better today.

“The goal is not to be perfect by the end, the goal is to be better today.”~ Simon Sinek

33. If you want to achieve anything in this world, you have to get used to the idea that not everyone will like you.

“If you want to achieve anything in this world, you have to get used to the idea that not everyone will like you.”~ Simon Sinek

34. Give to inspire others to give, not for you to get.

“Don’t give to get. Give to inspire others to give.”~ Simon Sinek

35. In the Infinite Game we accept that “being the best” is a fool’s errand.

“An infinite mindset embraces abundance whereas a finite mindset operates with a scarcity mentality. In the Infinite Game we accept that “being the best” is a fool’s errand and that multiple players can do well at the same time.”~ Simon Sinek

36. The Infinite Game is still going and there is still much work to be done, so don’t linger on your victories.

“It is important to celebrate our victories, but we cannot linger on them. For the Infinite Game is still going and there is still much work to be done.”~ Simon Sinek

Bonus:

“Those who have an opportunity to work in organizations that treat them like human beings to be protected rather than a resource to be exploited come home at the end of the day with an intense feeling of fulfillment and gratitude.

This should be the rule for all of us, not the exception. Returning from work feeling inspired, safe, fulfilled and grateful is a natural human right to which we are all entitled and not a modern luxury that only a few lucky ones are able to find.”

“If the people aren’t looking out for the community, then the benefits of a community erode. Many companies have star employees and star salesmen and so on, but few have a culture that produces great people as a rule and not an exception.”

“If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our WHY.”

“All leaders, even the good ones, can sometimes lose their way and become selfish and power hungry, however. Intoxicated by the chemicals, they can sometimes forget that their responsibility as a leader is to their people.

Sometimes these leaders are able to regain their footing, but if they don’t, we have little choice but to look past them, lament what they have become, wait for them to move on and look to someone else to lead us.”

“Anything that separates us from the impact our words and actions have on other people has the potential to lead us down a dangerous path.”

“When we are closed to ideas, what we hear is criticism. When we are open to criticism, what we get is advice.”

“Good leadership is like exercise. We do not see any improvement to our bodies with day-to-day comparisons.”

“My favorite definition of love is giving someone the power to destroy us and trusting they won’t use it.”

“We don’t necessarily find happiness in our jobs every day, but we can feel fulfilled by our work every day if it makes us feel part of something bigger than ourselves.”

Comments

E. F.

read more