Simon Sinek: How to identify great leaders & find your why
Author Simon Sinek joins host Reid Hoffman for a lively chat about how to identify good leaders, scale ideas, and leverage the “ultimate hack” for success. They also discuss why missionaries beat mercenaries in Silicon Valley and whether AI can ever really be your friend.
Simon Sinek’s 15th anniversary edition of “Start With Why”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/304046/start-with-why-15th-anniversary-edition-by-simon-sinek/
Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission.
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Be a Better Leader, the Human Paradox, and the Folly of a Plan — with Simon Sinek
The Dawg is back!
Scott opens with what he’s been up to the past month and shares some exciting news from Prof G Media.
We’re then joined by Simon Sinek, an international speaker and best-selling author of the books “Start With Why,” “The Infinite Game,” and “Find Your Why.” Simon discusses all things leadership, mentorship, and the struggles men face in building meaningful relationships. We also get into Simon’s personal life, including his career journey, the demons he wrestles with, and his hacks for mastering the art of storytelling. @simonsinek.
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Conversation with Simon Sinek — Finding Your Why, Feeling Stuck, and Building Strong Leaders
Simon Sinek, a renowned leadership expert, author, and motivational speaker, joins Scott to discuss his visionary concept of “Start With Why,” along with insights on building strong teams, leadership, feeling stuck, and finding your purpose. Simon also gets Scott to open up about a meaningful memory of his mom.
Follow Simon on Twitter, @simonsinek.
P.S. Scott is on holiday, so we’ll be back with our business analysis and Algebra of Happiness in September!
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20VC: Simon Sinek on Trust; How it is Gained and Lost | Why Millennials Avoid Conflict | How to Listen Effectively | What Makes The Best Feedback and How to Provide It | Why Humans Do Not Change & How To Find Out Who You Really Are
Simon Sinek is an optimist and author, as we discuss in the show today. Simon is best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY (62M views), and his video on millennials in the workplace (80M views in 7 days). Simon is also a bestselling author including global bestseller Start with WHY, Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game. In addition, Simon is the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press.
In Today's Discussion with Simon Sinek We Discuss:
1. The Makings of Simon Sinek:
In what ways does Simon believe that his parents and upbringing shaped who he is today?
What does Simon want to be when he grows up?
What was the catalytic moment to the "Simon Sinek brand"? When was that big break moment?
2. Identity:
Simon has said before, "I define myself by who I am and not what I do". Is it wrong to define yourself by what you do?
What do you do if you do not know who you are? What do you do if you do not like the answers to who you are?
Is it possible to change who you are? What does that process look like?
What is Simon's biggest advice to those looking to find a greater sense of self and identity?
3. Trust:
Does Simon start relationships with inherent trust and it is there to be lost or no trust and it is there to be gained over time?
When has someone broken Simon's trust? How did it impact how he approaches trust today?
In the case of cheating in a relationship, does Simon believe it is possible to regain trust over time?
Simon has said before, "trust is built on telling the truth". Does it ever make sense or is even right to tell a little white lie in a relationship?
4. Creating Safe Spaces:
How can we create safe spaces for our partners to be their full selves?
Does this differ professionally and personally?
What are the biggest mistakes people make in building safe spaces?
5. Listening:
What does great listening in a relationship mean? How can we do it better?
Often people jump from listening to solution mode, is that wrong?
Why does Simon have a rule of "no crying alone". What does it do and how is it productive? When was the last time Simon cried?
6. Simon Sinek: AMA:
What is success to you?
Can one be "successful" and unhappy?
What is the difference between happiness and joy?
How I Built Resilience: Live with Simon Sinek
Each week, Guy is hosting online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Today's conversation is with Simon Sinek, whose books about business — including "Start with Why," and "The Infinite Game" — offer guidance to founders that is especially timely right now.
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#82 – Simon Sinek: Leadership, Hard Work, Optimism and the Infinite Game
Simon Sinek is an author of several books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, and his latest The Infinite Game. He is one of the best communicators of what it takes to be a good leader, to inspire, and to build businesses that solve big difficult challenges.
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This conversation is part of the Artificial Intelligence podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or support it on Patreon.
Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
OUTLINE:
0:00 – Introduction
3:50 – Meaning of life as an infinite game
10:13 – Optimism
13:30 – Mortality
17:52 – Hard work
26:38 – Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and leadership