A book called “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek covered this topic and gave inspiration for this article.
“When an organization is filled with ‘good fits,’ those who believe what you believe, success just happens,” said Sinek.
Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led three expeditions to the Antarctic, including the infamous Endurance voyage back in the early 1900s, surrounded himself wi
th a team of noble and adventurous explorers. On Shackleton’s search for the crew for his voyages, he clearly described the type of people he needed when he plac
ed ads in The New York Times in 1915. He even noted that a “safe return was doubtful,” but he still needed a team of people who would not give up, no matter the circumstan
ces. Despite the disaster with the Endurance when the ship became trapped in the ice, Shackleton was able to lead the crew to safety after camping on the sea ice until lifeboats arrived.
Moral of the story: When surrounded with like-minded individuals, success tends to follow. When employees feel they belong and are important to the organization, th
ey are more motivated to work toward the company’s goals. This will guarantee the company’s success, as employees will do the job for themselves.
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Many companies focus on their organizational structure of the how or what their company does, versus finding their why. Looking at the key differences between IBM a
nd Apple’s organizational structure, Apple continues to be a leader in technology. Steve Jobs gave employees a filter, a context, and a higher purpose around which to innovate. Apple employees simply look for ways to bring their cause to life, in as many places as they can, and it works.
“Great companies give their people a sense of purpose or challenge around which to develop ideas, rather than simply instructing them to make a better mousetrap
. Companies with a great sense of why tend to ignore the competition. Innovation is invaluable for navigating struggle, [making it] easier to weather hard times or even to find opportunity then,” said Sinek.
Illuminate the Higher Cause
Employees don’t give up if they understand the higher cause. The Wright Brothers, Shackleton, and Apple’s management all believed they could be the best and they trusted their people to do it.
Another example that Sinek gave in his book was a story of two Stonemasons. One man just ha
a job for the money and chipped away each day in the heat, resenting his job. The other employee saw that he was building a cathedral–he saw the big picture. The latter had a sense of purpose and was part of the higher cause. He likely knew he would never see the end product, however, he was happy to be a part of its creation.
