Ted Talks Summary
How Great Leaders Inspire Action http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html Simon Sinek
May 2010
Chapter 8
Some ask why their employee’s are not self-motivated and what it takes for them to become motivated. As Simon Sinek says in How Great Leaders Inspire Action, People don’t buy what you do but they buy why you do it. All great inspirational leaders think, act, and communicate in the same fashion. They all used the question why in all of their thoughts. They want to know why something works and they want to know why people buy a product. While marketing, it is common for most companies to tell what their product is and how they make it. Companies like Apple have become marketing experts by advertising their product as why they made it, how it works, and then what it is. The middle of your brain asks why and also inspires decisions, so when the advertisement plays your brain is already ready to buy it. In the video, Sinek discusses what it takes for the market to love a product. He uses the Law of Diffusion of Innovation to explain what a product needs to gain in the market. This law says that if your product can get 15%-18% of the market to try it then it will tip and the use of your product will shoot through the market. The main part that relates to a manager dealing with their employee’s is hiring people that buy into your company and work for what you believe. If you hire someone who is looking for a job and does not really care about the company, than he will not be motivated. In chapter 8, span of control is discussed and set around 9 for the optimal span of control. With this video in mind, I would have to say that the span of control is dependent on the drive of your employee’s. The better, more motivated your employee’s are, the more you may
May 2010
Chapter 8
Some ask why their employee’s are not self-motivated and what it takes for them to become motivated. As Simon Sinek says in How Great Leaders Inspire Action, People don’t buy what you do but they buy why you do it. All great inspirational leaders think, act, and communicate in the same fashion. They all used the question why in all of their thoughts. They want to know why something works and they want to know why people buy a product. While marketing, it is common for most companies to tell what their product is and how they make it. Companies like Apple have become marketing experts by advertising their product as why they made it, how it works, and then what it is. The middle of your brain asks why and also inspires decisions, so when the advertisement plays your brain is already ready to buy it. In the video, Sinek discusses what it takes for the market to love a product. He uses the Law of Diffusion of Innovation to explain what a product needs to gain in the market. This law says that if your product can get 15%-18% of the market to try it then it will tip and the use of your product will shoot through the market. The main part that relates to a manager dealing with their employee’s is hiring people that buy into your company and work for what you believe. If you hire someone who is looking for a job and does not really care about the company, than he will not be motivated. In chapter 8, span of control is discussed and set around 9 for the optimal span of control. With this video in mind, I would have to say that the span of control is dependent on the drive of your employee’s. The better, more motivated your employee’s are, the more you may