Start with yourself

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephanie Ashley
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Simon Sinek, author of the book, "Start with Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action", visited Minot Air Force Base Aug. 6 to 7 to speak on building a successful team.

Sinek held various seminars that targeted different sections of the chain of command, ranging from Airmen all the way up to commanders and senior leadership.

One of the main themes he touched on was the need within an organization or corporation to recognize the difference between personal goals and what is best for the group.

"Most of the systems inside the organizations that we work in don't reward the responsibility to each other, they reward personal achievement," said Sinek in regards to some of the downfalls of modern working environments.

On the topic of leadership, Sinek discussed the various parts of a leader's role and the perceptions others hold for them.

"It really takes a strong culture or a strong leader to understand that their job is to look after others," added Sinek, "Leadership has nothing to do with rank. A leader is someone who others choose to follow."

"What rank provides is authority and the ability to lead on a greater scale, that's it," Sinek added. "Fundamentally, all leaders, regardless of rank or responsibility, care about the people to the left and right of them."

He also said we are a counting society that rewards progress from point A to point B. However, it is very hard to measure progress over a long period of time, just as attempting to measure the worth of family and good leadership.

It is with this idea in mind that he encourages others to recognize a good leader needs to understand while progress is important, it is equally important to have a goal for the group.

"A good leader wants to know that they are moving in the right direction, not just a direction," Sinek further clarified. "What good is it to say, 'we're going to count our steps today, and our goal is to do ten steps a day', then get real excited when we count 12. But what if we're walking in a circle?"

Sinek also went on to say that it is important for there to be one goal and one direction for the group. In this way, the cohesion of the individuals involved and the combined efforts of the group as a whole will be much more united towards achieving said goals.

"This country was founded on a very simple idea - that all men are created equal, and it's the responsibility of all those who live here and all those who volunteer to work for the country to ensure that that idea is upheld and protected," said Sinek. "It'll never be perfect, but we always know the direction ... the minute we forget that is when we'll have no direction."