#598 why

In Simon Sinek's TED talk entitled "How Great Leaders Inspire Action", he references the man whose birthday we commemorate today.  "Why is it that Martin Luther King led the civil rights movement?," Sinek asks.  "He wasn't the only man who suffered in a pre-Civil Rights America, and he certainly wasn't the only great orator of the day."

Sinek's answer: because Martin Luther King, like other great leaders, was able to inspire others because his message focused on the WHY of his cause instead of the WHAT or HOW.  King became an inspirational leader because he thought, acted and communicated from the inside out (starting with why) instead of focusing on the how or what.

Sinek believes that people will follow people who believe what you believe.  King was masterful at sharing what he believed and focusing his efforts on the purpose of the cause. He focused on what could be, not what needed to change, and it resonated with hundreds of thousands of others who made his cause their own.

Dr. King gave the "I Have a Dream speech, not the I Have a Plan speech," notes Sinek -- a perfect way of delineating the difference in approach.

On this holiday, take a lesson from both Dr. King and Simon Sinek.  Spend 20 minutes watching Sinek's TED talk and then reflect on how you can articulate the purpose of what you're about and the meaning of the cause that earns your energy.

http://youtu.be/a6kbcERdmCw

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com