I rewatched a Tedx Talk this week. The whole thing takes about 18 minutes and is worth a listen/view. To access the talk, click HERE. The thesis of the talk is that there is a formula/equation/diagram that in large part explains how some people and organizations inspire and some do not. Simon Sinek, the speaker, calls it the Golden Circle. In diagrammatic form, it is three concentric circles, why being the smallest, how being a bit larger, and what being the largest of the three.

There are two points from the talk that I have revisited on multiple occasions. The first is that people don’t buy what you do but they buy why you do it. One example of this the speaker gives is a comparison of Apple and Dell. Before Apple had the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, the two companies were ostensibly equal—both made and sold computers. But have you ever seen a Dell sticker on someone’s car? I haven’t, and the reason is that while Dell sells computers, Apple sells so much more: Apple sells minimalist design, contemporary cool, and cultural cachet (that all happen to come packaged as a computer).

Differentiating our why in the market for legal services is no mean feat, but the budding relationships we are developing with some of our clients that extend beyond providing legal advice are suggesting a meaningful direction towards which we are turning. We continue to reflect upon and refine our why as we begin our business journey. Whatever your business is, I encourage you this week to take a few minutes to do the same. Think about the why at the core of your business, then keep that why at the center of everything your business does.

The second enduring point from this talk for me is that there is a difference between leaders and those who lead. To be a leader is to have a position of authority or a title. To be a person who leads is to inspire others to follow, to inspire them so much that they follow for their own sake. We do not yet have employees, but in preparation for that time (which may never come) I remind myself often of this distinction in order to strive to be a person who leads and not merely a leader. Perhaps the world would be a better place if more people did the same.