Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team by Simon Sinek, Peter Docker, David Mead

Finding purpose in our lives and in our work is a challenge that burdens us all. Through his bestselling book “Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team”, author Simon Sinek provides clear and measurable tactics to finding meaningful work that can help create a revolution in your personal and professional life.

Sinek starts by addressing the importance of discovering our “why”, or the reasons underpinning our motivations. By asking the question, “Why does your organization do the things it does?”, Sinek suggests that we can begin to uncover the purpose behind our actions and ultimately what drives us. He explains how developing an understanding of our why can be beneficial to us and our teams, noting that when we incorporate our true motives into our work, “we create an internal culture of aligned purpose and an environment where doing the right thing is just part of the job”.

The author then provides a step-by-step guide on how to find our “why”. Through exercises involving writing, discussions and self-reflection, Sinek encourages readers to think deeply and consider the stories they tell themselves, as well as their team’s stories, in order to get to the heart of their true motivations. He also provides helpful tactics on how to implement a newfound “why” in our daily work, such as outlining “success metrics” which are measures of complex ideas tied to values that can respond and adapt to changes, and writing “company manifestos” that “enable and empower individuals within an organization based on the shared values accepted and endorsed by the team”.

Sinek stresses the importance of tapping into our why versus our what, which is the outputs of what we do. Using the example of Apple’s mission to “challenge the status quo,” Sinek demonstrates how a company’s why provides a deeper understanding of their purpose than just a product they sell. Subsequently, he details how a strong sense of purpose will lead to teams producing stronger, better-aligned work and better products because they are working to their greater self-defined goal.

In the book, Sinek also provides valuable advice on how to foster team building and communication among peers, and how to create cultures of trust and cooperation amongst colleagues. He notes that successful teams are those in which members take ownership of their actions and bear the responsibility for their mistakes. Additionally, Sinek provides guidanceon how to build accountabilitywhich is essential in creating a team which is resilient and motivated.

Concluding “Find Your Why”, Sinek provides a unique perspective on journeying to discover purpose. Through his practical guide, readers are encouraged to reflect on their work and beliefs with the goal of achieving meaningful happiness and professional success. By asking the difficult questions and seeking deep internal wisdom, readers can follow their “why” and find their path to achieving the ultimate goal of inner peace and values-driven success.