The Golden Circle method was popularized by Simon Sinek in his 2009 TED Talk. In his talk Simon focused on how true leadership works. The way I see it, the Golden Circle can be utilized to provide guidance in how to assess anything in life.
It is simple, nifty idea. Three questions. What, How and Why. Like in here:
The trick lies in the order in which you ask them.
Naturally, you are tempted to start from the outside. When faced with a problem you often ask yourself: What do I need to do? Then follow with: How do I need to do it? Sometimes, you would ask Why too…
Unfortunately, by following this order you may lock yourself out of discovering the best solutions. You start with result in mind, but see no purpose. No big picture. No vision.
An old Japanese proverb says it best: Vision without action is a daydream, but action without vision is a nightmare.
Nowadays I find it to be more true than ever. From every angle you are bombarded with band-aid, quick-fix solutions, especially on-line:
- 10 quick steps to becoming rich
- 7 simple things you need to do now to win
- 27 tips for achieving success in life
You see it everywhere. That’s all action. Do now. But start applying these things without some sort of understanding, without vision, without asking why and you are in for a big problem. Perhaps not a nightmare.
Maybe just a failure.
Only by starting with why, you can end up with the right what. If you get why you do something right, you will get what you need to do right as well. And much better than reverse.
We all need to look at problems from the inside out. In our self-development. In our careers. In life. Understanding why we do what we do is key.
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Dawid Straszak
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Wojciech Mendyka
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Dawid Straszak
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Craig Hadden