Review: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is highly repetitive and yet so inspiring I kind of want to go start a company.

The premise: if you want to be a successful leader, you must filter everything you do through your Why - the reason you do what you do.

I love it. That idea of inspiration coming from your very soul and filtering all your choices through that purpose - it makes sense. If you focus too much on What you do instead of Why you do it, you lose sight and those who turn to you for inspiration will become disenfranchised. If you don't have people who believe in your ideas, you're not much of a leader.

The problem is, this book of sound reasoning and solid example spends most of the book simply repeating the same idea. I think Simon Sinek is one of the most inspirational people to listen to, and yet this book of his creation left me disappointingly underwhelmed.

The idea is solid, but it's also simple. The same examples are used over and over again, and it doesn't seem fresh, it just seems repetitive. There were also a lot of typos that really lowered the professionalism of the book. Once you've read about his Golden Circle, and grasped the concept, there's really not much more to it.

I was still really inspired reading it, and it really did make me want to start my own company haha. It does get you thinking about your own Why and purpose and what it is that motivates. I think the thought processes that this book inspires are the real gem you take away. It gets you thinking about your own methods and reasons and if it helps you change perspectives and start feeling more purpose in what you do, then that's kind of the point.

The purpose of this book is to inspire, which it unquestioningly does. If you're a business person looking for a fresh take, this is a great place to start. However, the examples are repetitive and the same concepts explained repeatedly so it's not a completely satisfying read.

As a book, not the best, but as a stepping stone to big thoughts and new business strategies, it's pretty brilliant.

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