Simon Sinek on How Military Leadership Inspires Loyalty and Purpose

In Chapter 14 of 16 in his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, author Simon Sinek shares why United States Air Force (USAF) General Lori Robinson's leadership style, humility, & purpose has created a loyal following. "Start With Why" author Sinek deconstructs General Robinson's leadership style and its empowering affect on others, including himself.  Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer who applies his curiosity around why people do what they do to teach leaders and companies how to inspire people. He is the author of "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". Sinek holds a BA degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University.

Transcript

Erik Michielsen: Through your journey, you have spent some time working with the United States Air Force and met some incredible people there that inspired you.  One was Brigadier General Lori Robinson.  What did she teach you about humility and inspiration?

Simon Sinek: Lori Robinson is one of the most gifted natural leaders I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  What is remarkable about her is that she is not what you would expect.  It is not about power or fire and brimstone.  She is very humble and, in fact, self deprecating a lot of the time.  She has an undying belief.  She knows her job is to show up and clear a path for others so they can succeed.  She says I`m in the Air Force because I want to leave this country in better form than I found it.  It is because she shows up to work everyday with that purpose it has accelerated her career but more importantly created a following for her.  She is going to leave the Air Force in better shape than she found it and because of her this country will be left in better shape than when she found it.  She is pretty remarkable.

Simon Sinek on Why the Past is Relevant to Why We Do What We Do

In Chapter 15 of 16 in his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, author Simon Sinek elaborates on the purpose discovery process on why we do what we do is built around past success patterns, themes, and motivations. Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer who applies his curiosity around why people do what they do to teach leaders and companies how to inspire people. He is the author of "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". Sinek holds a BA degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University.

Transcript

Erik Michielsen: Simon, in your book, "Start With Why" you write:  "The WHY does not come from looking ahead at what you want to achieve and figuring out an appropriate strategy to get there.  It does not come from extensive interviews with customers or even employees.  It comes from looking in the completely opposite direction from where you want to go.  Finding WHY is a process of discovery, not invention.  And it usually starts with a single person." Can you elaborate on that?

Simon Sinek: Why you do what you do comes from you.  We are products of our own upbringing.  We are products of our own cultures.  How your parents raised you, where you lived, your childhood experiences formed who you are.  A miserly CEO who grew up in the Great Depression grows up to be miserly. That's not because he read a management book the importance of being miserly, it is because he grew up in the Great Depression.  To understand why we do what we do, we have to go back into our own past and see what our own patterns of success have been and when certain circumstances exist, when we are motivated by certain things we excel, naturally, and when they are not there, we struggle, naturally.  Projecting forward are aspirations.  To have it truly be lasting it has to be from within you.  

Simon Sinek on How to Identify Your Passion and Create Results From It

In Chapter 16 of 16 of his 2009 interview with Capture Your Flag host Erik Michielsen, "Start With Why" author Simon Sinek shares why passion is a result and not an action. Finding one's passion requires creating a process to make it actionable. Sinek shares why the first step is to identify what you love and then to continue to enable this root element through action.

Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer who applies his curiosity around why people do what they do to teach leaders and companies how to inspire people. He is the author of "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". Sinek holds a BA degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University.

Transcript

Erik Michielsen: What are your thoughts and what is your approach in finding and building upon passions?

Simon Sinek: Passion is not an actionable word. It is correct that those who do what they are passionate about do better, but it is not helpful advice.  The question is where does passion come from?  Passion is a result.  Passion is an energy.  Passion is the feeling you have when you are engaged in something you love.  Passion is the feeling you have when you would probably do this for free and you can't believe someone pays you for it.  We mistake that passion is something we do in our private lives but it shouldn't be done in our careers.  I'm a firm believer in you are who you are and anyone who says they are different at home than they are at work then in one of those two places you are lying.  The goal is to make everything you do at home at work something you are excited to do.  So how do you find the thing that you are excited to do?  It is easier than you think.  What are the things you would do for free?  What do you do when nobody tells you to do them? How can you recreate that feeling and be paid for it? I'm very involved in the art world.  I love to go to museums and galleries and I love to go see dances and performances because I want to see how others are interpreting the world.  That inspires me.  New ideas, new thoughts, new ways of looking at the world are things that interest me, privately, and I seek it out and pay money for it.  So, does that mean I have to have a career in the arts?  No.  That means I have to have a career where new ideas are explored, where people are experimenting and trying things out and I have to explore new ideas and try things out and I'm just as excited to go to work each day as I am to go do something on a Saturday night.  The idea of finding your passion is ironically simple. You should be doing something you love sometime. What is the stuff that you enjoy and what is the stuff that you love?  Who are the people you love and what do they all have in common?  

How to Manage Personal Blog While Working Full-Time Job - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 11 of 13, marketer and blogger Caroline Giegerich becomes stressed and time-constrained as her Daily Marauder blog responsibilities blossom while maintaining an HBO day job.  Ultimately, Giegerich finds balance by pausing content creation to gather reader feedback and reset her approach to the site. 

How to Write a Blog Relevant to Hollywood Media Executives - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 10 of 13, Caroline Giegerich starts her Daily Marauder blog is born to aggregate digital media news and information in daily digest form for Hollywood Executives and confronts challenge blogging early morning and evenings while working full-time at HBO.

What Working at HBO Teaches About Media Business Models - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 9 of 13, working at HBO teaches digital marketer Caroline Giegerich the difference between advertising-supported broadcast network and subscription cable network and the challenges associated with developing a subscription-model friendly digital media business strategy.

How to Prepare for an HBO Job Interview - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 8 of 13, Caroline Giegerich shares how she landed a marketing job at HBO.  After a personal network introduction to the HBO job opportunity, Giegerich finds herself faced with answering "How Many Gas Stations Are There in Iowa?"

How to Find Marketing Jobs on Industry Association Websites - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 6 of 13, Brown University graduate Caroline Giegerich promotes herself by posting resume on Direct Marketing Association website, ultimately finding innovative direct marketing position at the Los Angeles Times.

How to Stay Composed When Receiving Praise and Rejection - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 3 of 13, Caroline Giegerich builds self-confidence working as a WBRU radio DJ in Providence, Rhode Island.  Working there while studying at Brown University, Giegerich learns to manage popularity through constant listener praise and rejection and diva musicians stopping by for studio visits.  

How Radio Job Teaches Media Relations Skills - Caroline Giegerich

In Chapter 2 of 13, college radio DJ Caroline Giegerich experiences an array of character building experiences including managing Catholic community outrage and superstar personalities, including Tori Amos.  Giegerich worked at Providence, Rhode Island's WBRU while attending Brown University and studying philosophy and pre-med.

What to Consider When Asking for Help Making a Big Decision - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 12 of 13, media and publishing entrepreneur Phil McKenzie shares his approach to seeking counsel and advice on difficult decisions.  McKenzie finds value both in independent decision making and in accessing pragmatic outside views.  He highlights overcoming the challenge presented when others focus more on safety than on possibility.  Phil McKenzie graduated from Howard University and earned an MBA from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.  Before starting FREE DMC and the Influencer Conference, McKenzie worked for eight years in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs.

How to Teach Parents Patience When Change Comes - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 6 of 13, mid-30s media and publishing entrepreneur Phil McKenzie teaches his parents the value of patience and support to complement their focus on their child's safety and security.  McKenzie graduated from Howard University and earned an MBA from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.  Before starting FREE DMC and the Influencer Conference, McKenzie worked for eight years in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs.

How Goldman Sachs Trading Job Empowers Entrepreneur - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 3 of 13, as a Goldman Sachs trader, Phil McKenzie shares how he learned to deal with chaos and, more importantly, build upon this experience in approaching balance as a start-up entrepreneur in publishing marketplace.  McKenzie graduated from Howard University and earned an MBA from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.  Before starting FREE DMC and the Influencer Conference, McKenzie worked for eight years in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs.

How to Frame Freedom and Life Ownership - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 1 of 13, Phil McKenzie frames his freedom and life ownership fulfillment definition within the intensive early stage media and publishing entrepreneurial lifestyle at FREE Magazine.  Phil McKenzie graduated from Howard University and earned an MBA from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.  Before starting FREE DMC and the Influencer Conference, McKenzie worked for eight years in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs.

Why Big Record Labels Are So Great Creating Superstars - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 15 of 15, Island Def Jam executive Andy Epstein shares how label goals - to create and monetize superstars - do not change while other elements do.  Amidst declining music sales, labels are building "360 degree" artist relationships, built on advertising, touring, merchandise, and music sales, to create superstars. 

How Big Record Labels Create Big Music Stars - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 14 of 15, music promotions and operations director Andy Epstein highlights an unchanged fact in the music business: big labels still make big stars.  Amidst music industry disruption and digitization, large labels remain experts discovering, marketing, and promoting talent and, as a result, are poised to remain influential and relevant in coming years.  

How to Apply a Columbia MBA Degree at a Record Label - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 13 of 15, Andy Epstein shares why he decided to enter the Columbia Business School MBA program while working at Island Def Jam records.  The MBA curriculum helps Andy Epstein better understand his company's core competence and positioning while elevating his own self-confidence in why his role matters. 

What Makes a Successful Music Artist - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 12 of 15, Island Def Jam promotiions executive Any Epstein shares this surprising yet understandable insight - talent reigns supreme - as it relates to the changing nature of music big business. In an industry where direct audience engagement, including touring and appearances, is more relevant than ever, music artists are as exposed as ever and forced to rely on individual talent building their personal brands.