At WOODS, we believe in the power of purpose to scale and transform brands from the inside out. But what does that mean for businesses and why should they care?
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
In Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, he explains that the world’s leading brands are just that – leaders. But what separates leaders from the rest, and can any business be one?
That’s where the power of purpose comes in.
The key attribute of leaders is that we follow them because we want to, not because we have to. Leaders have the ability to inspire followers that completely buy into their vision and believe in what they say. They are skilled at sharing their purpose and allowing others to share in that purpose.
Brands without a clear purpose rely on carrots and sticks to get a response, whether it’s pricing, promotion, novelty, or aspirational messaging. But these techniques only create short term results.
Meanwhile, effective leaders and brands who communicate through the lens of their purpose inspire action effortlessly.
How do leaders succeed where others fail?
One thing great leaders share is the ability to communicate backwards. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Martin Luther King – all inspire through the way they share their purpose-driven message before going into any detail. It is simple, concise, and singularly focused.
Simon Sinek calls their technique ‘the golden circle’. For many businesses, purpose is a fuzzy term. They understand what they do and how they do it, but can’t adequately explain why they do what they do. The golden circle reverses this order – defining the purpose first – then communicating how you work, and finally, what you do.
Let’s look at one of the masters of storytelling. Steve Jobs regularly explained that Apple’s purpose was to challenge the status quo by thinking differently. In the early days, he focused more energy on this message, than any details or features of their computers. Then, every time Apple created a new product or innovation, he was able to point back to their purpose statement as proof. This communication technique attracted a large tribe of followers who not only cared about the product, but what the Apple brand means to them and how their own self identity.
Are you clear on your purpose, or are you relying on carrots and sticks to drive results?
Talk to us about defining your why.
