Lesson 4: Four Laws for Creating Magic Inside Your Organization | Simon Sinek

Certain companies feel magical, but their allure is more than marketing sleight of hand. That magic originates within these organizations, flowing from leaders who have an unshakable devotion to their “why” as well as the ability to bring it to life for their people. Truth is, any leader can cast that spell. It doesn’t even require an incantation. In this video lesson, leadership consultant Simon Sinek shares four laws for creating this type of magic inside your organization.

1. Performance does not equal leadership.

There’s no correlation between individual ability and leadership ability. Leaders get the best out of their people. They themselves may not be the best at what they do.

High performers that people don’t trust make for toxic leaders. Avoid promoting people based on performance alone. Ask yourself: Do people trust this person? How are their social skills?

2. Leadership has nothing to do with rank.

What makes someone a leader is not formal authority. What makes someone a leader is choosing to look after others.

Remember: Leadership comes with risk. Standing up for your people can cost you your job.

Leadership also comes with rewards. Help your people become better versions of themselves.

3. Leaders must visit the front lines.

You can only lead people. Practice eyeball leadership. Get out from behind your desk and get to know your people in person. Learn their names and faces.

4. Leaders can’t lead with social media.

Social media is a powerful tool for spreading your message and scaling your business. But it doesn’t replace leadership.

Leadership isn’t about marketing. It’s about your humanity.

© Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved.

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About Simon Sinek:

Simon O. Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of "the golden circle" and to "Start With Why," described by TED as "a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"'. He joined the RAND Corporation in 2010 as an adjunct staff member, where he advises on matters of military innovation and planning. His first TEDx Talk on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" is the 3rd most viewed video on TED.com. His 2009 book on the same subject, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009) delves into what he says is a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision-making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others.

He has commented for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, FastCompany, CMO Magazine, NPR, and BusinessWeek, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, BrandWeek, and IncBizNet.