Simon Sinek is an optimist. He educates leaders and organisations on how to inspire people. He is an author and a motivational speaker. I admire his outlook and approach toward inspirational leadership and for that reason I want to share favourite quotes of Simon Sinek with you, with my take on each. I will do this in 2 separate posts…so here’s the first… 

“The lives we live are a bit of a straight-hair vs. curly-hair thing. We often want what we don’t have. In reality, it’s not about better or worse; it’s just perception.”

Too often, we compare ourselves to others. We spend so much of time focusing on what other people do or have, that we forget to appreciate our own strengths. We are somehow never satisfied with what we have and that’s sometimes okay as it will push you to be more driven.

However, if you’re constantly putting yourself down because of what others have and you don’t, you may just lose opportunities to embrace your great traits. e..g. You could be thinking, “I wish I was more outspoken like her” and she may be thinking, “I wish I could sometimes speak less and listen more like her”.

Believe it or not, there is someone else looking at you, wishing they were like you, in some way or the other. It’s all about perception, it really is.

“Directions are instructions given to explain how. Direction is a vision offered to explain why.”

Think of a recipe on the packaging of a product, or a medicine insert – that’s directions – step by step, telling you what to do.

Direction on the other hand is all about vision; The long-term plan, the goal.

An individual, team or company, without a vision, is walking blindly, with no end in sight. Employees want direction. They want a sense of purpose, they want to know where they are going and why and they need you as leader, to lead them in this direction.

“No matter when or where, always bring your ‘A’ game, because you never know when it will open doors for you.”

Through my many years of facilitating training to a variety of audiences, I have often come across examples, where certain employees shared that they needed to give more attention to VIP users, (call centre environment) simply because of their seniority in the organisation.

I always debated this, as I believe that everyone, regardless of level of authority, should receive the same level of service. I do understand and agree that there may be different priority levels. Service, however, should be consistent.

Besides, like this quote says, you never know who may be observing your mannerism. So, you should always do, say and be your best. Even if no one else is watching, I think it’s important to do it for self-gratification.

“When you explain to people what you’re trying to do, as opposed to just making demands or delegating tasks, you can build instant trust, even if it’s just for that short time you’re on the phone”

Great leaders don’t “tell” – they inspire. A good leader is someone who has the ability to explain things in such a manner, that you “want” to do the task willingly. A good leader won’t have to dictate to you, all he or she will do, is communicate the purpose of the task effectively.

It’s human nature for us to understand the purpose and if we don’t, then we are less likely to be focused and this will result in the goals not being achieved. So, take the time to explain “why”, share the benefit and implications that it will have on the team and the individual.

“The most basic human desire is to feel like you belong. Fitting in is important”

Have you ever yearned for a sense of belonging? Did you just want to be part of the inner circle? Have you ever felt left out and disengaged? If the answers are all yes, chances are that you found yourself another job.

If there is a disconnect from the team in any way, you will eventually seek alternate employment because you are feeling unfulfilled. If you notice that anyone in your team is feeling this way, don’t wait until it is too late, to do something about it.

Always remind yourself, that you would not want to feel this way and try to build rapport with this individual. It is one of the worst feelings to lack a sense of belonging. When individuals lack a sense of belonging, their behaviour and productivity may be negatively affected.

If you enjoyed this post, stay tuned for part 2…

I love comments…so please share your thoughts below…