Having a Just Cause - Simon Sinek

 Hello world, So, one of my things to do is procrastinate on Instagram. It's the evening. I should be relaxing. But I'm reading the Infinite game. Here's a little peek of moon shots, are not a just cause there. It is a printed page from the new book.

So, it's the first time. I've read it. So, it's really just a lot of red pen quite frankly. But here's what I'm loving. I've learned so much from this book, and this has given me an entirely new way of seeing the world.

An entirely new lens through which to see it, which has been a thrill and even sort of adding more depth to some of the previous stuff, that I've written about for those of you, who may have read leaders eat last.

For example, I talked about the circle of safety, and one of the things that I sort of, I think I talked about it and leaders have to go back and check. But yes, it's absolutely a leader's responsibility to build a circle of safety when it exists.

 It is then the responsibility of others to step into it and very much about trust being a two-way street think about it in a personal relationship. You know when you are married to someone or dating somebody, and all you do is give and give and create a safe space for them.

If they don't reciprocate then the relationship gonna collapse. So, I like this idea of shared risk though the leader is the one who takes the risk first anyway, as I like to do. If you like I will answer any questions.

You have and the more questions you have the easier. It is for me to, procrastinate not do my work. What else can I tell you, Hello from Portugal. So, cool and from Venezuela neat. What else can I tell you, that I've been learning. Oh, one of the things that I do.

You know this idea of vision and missions, and everybody's got a vision statement in a mission statement, and one of the problems is that we don't have standard definitions. For what a vision or mission is. So, they always look different, sound different.

Some people some companies have one some companies that both something is you. Put them in a different order. So, the question is what is a vision and mission statement. So, I thought just like, I've done with a lot of my work.

If we can't agree on the definition let's throw out the words and start again I talked about a Just Cause and I give some pointers. As to actually, how to write it. Just cause where is it.

So, if you actually want to write a just cause, if you actually want to write a vision, that will inspire people it needs to have five things.

So, all vision statements need to have five things for them to be inspiring and worthy of the infinite game. Here we go they must be for something. They must be inclusive. They must be service-oriented. They must be resilient, and they must be idealistic.

What does that mean okay for something means it has to be a positive and specific vision of the future. So, being against something is good to rally people. But it's not lasting and it's not inspiring. So, you have to be for something that you stand for versus, stand against.

It has to be inclusive which means it is open to all those, who would like to contribute. So, when people hear your vision. They think to themselves. Oh, I'd like to be a part of that and you can attract people from all different kinds of skill sets. Too often when people write visions or missions. They ground it in their product.

You know to make the best computer blah blah. Well, that's really attractive. If you're an engineer, but if you're an accountant, that's not so attractive, and very often when organizations define their vision or mission based on product. 

It makes some of the people who work at the company either feel like or even sometimes treat it as if they're second-class citizens. So, this has to be inclusive and service-oriented. It means the primary benefit has to go to others. If you go to your boss for career advice.

The expectation is that the advice, that you get will benefit, your career. If your boss gives you advice to benefit their career not really very good. So, the same value chain which is all of the things we do, has to benefit those on the receiving end.

So, if you're in product development. It has to the products you're developing have to benefit the people who will use the products. If you're a leader the things that lead your leadership, are your advice, and your counsel.

Everything has to benefit. The people in your charge and if you're an investor, the investments you make have to benefit. The company you're investing in and then of course you can expect to be paid well. Of course, you can expect to be rewarded, and of course, you can expect a return on your investment second only. 

After the benefactor, the person who's supposed to benefit from your effort or counsel is satisfied first, and this is necessary, for a good just cause in the infinite game. It has to be resilient that sort of goes without saying. It has to be able to endure political, technological, and cultural change.

Once again if you define it based on your product and there's a technological change, not gonna last, and then finally, it has to be idealistic big bold, and ultimately unachievable. In other words, it's not about some big goal of becoming the biggest or the best and it's not about reaching some revenue target.

Even if it's huge it's about achieving something that for all intents and purposes. You'll never get there. Think about the civil rights movement. Think about the Declaration of Independence. We'll never actually reach a point of all people are created equal.

But we'll die trying which is sort of the point of a good. Just Cause which is we devote our lives to advancing. Something that is ideal. 

So, I figured most people don't write good vision and mission statements, not because they're bad people, but because we don't really have any standardized guidelines.

So, that's what I'm hoping to put some framework around with the hope, that those of us. who work for an organization with a just cause will be inspired to come to work. Everyday questions could I tell your daughter Clara to go to bed.

Now, that's funny Clara, I go to bed now. Let's see what else. Just leaving through the questions. Hello, a lot of people from Portugal. It's kind of late there, isn't it. You should all be in bed. Oh, you Portuguese like to stay up late anyway.

So, I'm hard at work finishing this book eager to share it with you all. I'm in that nervous stage. Now where I'm writing, and you know I fear, that I haven't probably communicated the ideas, or probably communicated the thought and there's all this insecurity that goes with producing a product like this. 

It's a great product, it's not a product of science or experimentation. It's a creative product. So, you know all that nervousness of putting something out there. As I'm reading it. I'm enjoying the reading, but you know the fear. I have it will you guys like it will it connect, will.

Actually offer value in the world rather than just be some sort of vanity thing. I don't care about lots of Portuguese on. Here tonight no plan to come to Portugal any time soon, hello, from Peru. I'd always wanted to go to Peru. What are some good books to recommend? There's actually a bunch of cool books coming out from some folks.

I know Scott Harrison's book Thirst just came out. I think today Scott's a great guy, and I know his story. It's kind of inspiring. It's really inspired not kind of expired. It is inspiring Scott Belsky. 'He's new book the messy middle. I think just came out today as well. I like Scott and I like what he stands for in the world. 

Bernabe Brown has a new book coming out as well about leadership. I haven't read it yet. But I'm excited to read it. So, those are some books that are coming out from people. I know and like coming to Australia. I was just there hello from Argentina. I like Miele SS struggling with the finding of the founders of my companies.

Why struggling with finding the founders of my companies? Why I'm not sure, I understand the question, there are you. One of the founders are you working for the founders. Hello Jim, quick Jim for those of you. Who doesn't know Jim quick you really kW. I know you really should click over and say, Hi to Jim click could. Um, quick He is awesome.

One of my favorite people in the world. He just said, Hi, He's the best yes. 'Burn AE Browns' work is pretty magical. Oh so, you're working for the founder Eric. Well, they have to want to do it.

So, is it that you're struggling, because they don't want to do it and you think they should or that they really want it. But you know you have to want to learn your why. It's what's that old joke. How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb 1? 

But the light bulb has to really want to change. It's the same thing you can't force anybody to learn their why. They have to want to do it, because once they learn it. It requires focus and sacrifice to actually go through it.

So you know, do you think are do, you think ry changes, as we go through different seasons in our life. Oh that's such a great question, do you? I think your Y changes. everything I've learned about the why. the answer is it's permanent. once you it's the sum total of how you were raised and our experiences.

As kids and it's fully formed. Probably by our mid to late teens and then the rest of our lives are simply opportunities to live in balance with our Y or not. So, it's not like you know a lot of people think tragedy changes your Y. 

No, it doesn't. But it certainly can make it front and center. If you've suffered a personal tragedy in your life. Natural disasters September 11th you know a lot of us are sort of struck. All of a sudden that my job is stupid and it's not worthwhile and I don't feel it's fulfilling.

Well, that doesn't mean that your why changed. It means you came to realize because of the tragedy that there are things, that are more important for anybody, Who's ever had somebody near them die prematurely. You know you're struck by our problems aren't that bad, and life is valuable and special and it really reminds us, that to focus on something bigger than ourselves, is important.

So, these things thrust the WHI into focus. But they don't form your eye and they certainly don't change your eye. We only have one why, and it lasts our entire lives. The challenge is to live in balance with it. How do you learn your passion as a fifteen-year-old? You know that's such a good question.

I think as a fifteen-year-old. I hope that you start to practice. Taking care of your friends. You start to practice service that you start to practice leadership. That you volunteer or you go away on a volunteer program, or you do something for others, or when you spend time with your friends. 

You know you've heard me say this before. Put your phone away and make sure all your friends put their phones away and really spend time valuable time, with your friends and that's what I think you'll discover your passion.

As a teenager quite frankly at any age. There's a great irony to discovering our passion. Which is, it doesn't come from trying to find it for ourselves. It actually comes from trying to help others find it. So, commit yourself to helping others find or solve the problem.

They're struggling with what may be the same as yours, and you will soon discover what your passion is as well. It's counterintuitive. But you know human beings are made to take care of each other. So, that's what we got to do.

Why is why a humble thing why is it an act of service. It's kind of it has a dual purpose. It's the value we offer to the world. It's the value we have in our friends' lives. But it's also the thing we need the most. So my why is to inspire people to do the things that inspire them. 

So, together each of us. Can change our world for the better? So that's what I try and put out there. That's what I try and do that's what I try and have reflected in my work to inspire people to do. what inspires them.

However, the thing that I give to the world. The value that I have in the world is also the thing that I need the most. So, I have to constantly seek inspiration from others. Because if I don't then I become lost and I forget my own way, and it becomes about me, and I forget that, it's about service.

So, yes Ken why create discomfort for the ground and loss of an opportunity cost. Well, I think what Why provides is calm and certainty. So, sometimes there might be short-term losses for long-term gain, and I think that provides the focus to make those decisions, it happened to me. Personally when I discovered my why a bunch of years ago. 

I decided that the work that I was doing at the time, was not the work that was advancing my cause. I decided to close my office and start again and everybody panicked and thought that I'd gone out of business and I can tell you that it had never been.

So, sure of a decision in all my life. It was such an easy decision to make, how do you pick friends. Hopefully, you pick friends, who you care about and them, that you'd want to sacrifice for them. You feel that they would sacrifice for you.

You don't necessarily know these things overnight. You know friend. Friendship is like dating. You know, you get to know somebody and you see it. It's If there's something there. Um, I love how Jen Straus Rosenthal.

One of my oldest friends just logged on. We've known each other. Since we were in high school. Hi Jen. So, this is uh she's the best. So, this is the way a friend of mine describes trust, and I think it's brilliant he does fine. 

So, when you meet someone there's a rope there that's called trust that you would never lean on. Because you don't know them and then as you get to know them. You might put a little bit of your weight on the rope and see if it holds and the more you get to know them the more of your weight.

You can put against the rope and the Rope holds your entire weight. But you would never do it. Out of the gate, you would never do it first. 

Because you don't know if the Rope is sure and so it's, the same thing and you have to constantly keep checking your rope and there's like is the rope, that they provided you still strong or is it starting to fray, and if it's starting to fray.

You have to say hey my rope is fraying and you have to keep watching there. If a rope and seeing are you acting in a way. That you're that their rope can hold up their weight. Because you're responsible for building that so it's a two-way street. 

But I love this metaphor of trust as a rope that you lean on my friend. Tom came up with that and he's kind of a genius. One of my dear friends and mentors. Here's the thing about mentorship. A lot of people say you know you get an email.

I'm sure everybody is familiar with this. You know will you be my mentor. Mentorship is like friendship. You can't just go up to a stranger on the street and say will you be my friend. It doesn't work that way you can't just decide who you want to be your friends.

You got to get to know each other and I think mentorship is the same way. a mentor like a friend evolves you don't choose your mentors. you didn't say I want that person to be my mentor. because how do you know that they would want to sacrifice time and energy for you. 

Just because you asked them. You don't just like someone doesn't, just cuz you ask them to be your friend. They're not gonna just be your friend where it's not like little kids on the playground anymore.

So, mentorships evolved like if you call someone for advice and they give you advice. This is what happened to me, there's a guy named Ron. I met him. I thought he was amazing. I reached out to him for some advice and he took my call another time. 

I reached out to him he took my call another time. I emailed him he returned my email and before, I knew it. I realized he really cared about me, and he really cared to see me grow, and he became my mentor slowly like somebody becomes your friend, and I remember I was leaving his house, and I had put my arm around him to say goodbye.

I said you know I'm so glad you're my mentor and he responded something. I did not expect what he said, and I'm so glad you're mine and this is what I love about true mentor relationships, which is both people are learning. You're both the mentor and the mentee for as much as I thought.

He was just the giver it never occurred to me that, this highly accomplished man was learning from me too. So, I think great mentor relationships are like great friendships. They're about give-and-take and you don't decide to make someone your mentor. Even if it's well intended it evolves and you discover.

Someone's your mentor like you discover, someone's your friend like you discover, you're in love with someone. So, that's my view on mentorship watch Deadpool 2. The other night for the second time it's such a good film. I really like the Deadpool franchise. 

I hope they make many more. So, that's just a random thought. Yes, I do know Malcolm Gladwell's books, and I think they're very good. He's an amazing storyteller and I think he helps shed some light on it. Some of the things, we experience in our world.

So, I think I should probably go do some more work. Maybe have a bite to eat. Oh, what's this last one have you thought about bringing you why, into the school system to help our students and teachers. Oh yes, I have, I know there are a lot of teachers who found my work and principles. Who found my work and they've been doing it.

Organically you know the primary responsibilities of a principal are not to take care of the students. The primary responsibility of the principal's to take care of the teachers. The teachers take care of the students, and if the teachers feel like the principal is taking care of them.

They will invest all of their energy into taking care of the students. But if the teachers feel that they're not safe. When they come to work and that's got nothing to do with 10-yards. Do you feel psychologically safe then they will work to protect themselves from the school. Rather than spending their time, giving to the kids. 

So, I think teachers need to learn there why. I think principals need to learn there why. I think schools need to learn their why, and I think they need to teach leadership, to principals, and administrators not because, I singled them out as bad.

Because I don't think necessarily, they are, but I think it's just pervasive in all industries where we promote people. Because they want the job or they're good at the job. They had before we teach somebody, how to be a teacher, before, we let them teach.

We teach somebody how to be a doctor, before, you let them practice medicine. We teach somebody how to use the computer, before, we let them work on the computer. So, why would we not teach somebody how to be a leader, when we expect them to lead.

So, I think we can do a much better job at schools and definitely inside organizations to teach leadership. As we promote them into those positions. Nice glasses. Thank you very much and on that note I will wish you all a pleasant evening and have fun with your friends and families. 

Oh one more thought, I had this thought figured out. If you're addicted to your phone and I've been doing this. I go in and out of phases with this. But try this. It's really rough to charge your phone in a completely different room than the one you sleep in and when you wake up in the morning see.

If you really crave your phone, if you do, you might be addicted to the idea of waking up in the morning, and just like starting your day and brushing your teeth without immediately thinking, you need to check your phone. You know I'm pretty good about not checking my phone all the time.

I'm really pretty good about keeping my phone away. When I'm with my friends not putting it on tables and meetings. I don't bring it into meetings. So, I put it in airplane mode and keep it in a jacket or put it on a shelf or something.

But I've been charging it in a different room for a while and in the morning it still bothers me when I wake up. I wonder what's on my phone. So, working to keep charging it in a different room with the hope that when I wake up in the morning.

I just go through my morning routine before, I check the phone. So, there you go have a good night everyone always a pleasure to see you all thanks for tuning in to say, Hi until my next procrastination. I'll see you later.