The title of this post sounds confusing. It is meant to be confusing until you have watched the youtube video at the end of this post. The lessons learnt in this video can be applied to leadership, marketing and life. In leadership, people follow great leaders who know the purpose of "why" he is leading his people, to fulfil a great meaning and vision. The followers understand "why" they want to follow the leader. They are not just only following "what" the leader asks them to do, and the methods ("how") they are going to do certain things. Beyond all that, followers of great leaders know "why" they are following their leaders.
As such, great leaders inspire their followers by making them understand "why" they are following the leaders to fulfil a great meaning and purpose that speaks to their hearts. Once the followers understand "why" they are following a great meaning and purpose do the nitty gritty details of "what" they should do and "how" they should go about fulfiling that great meaning and purpose come about naturally with passion.
How many of us often heard our bosses telling us straight in the face to get certain things done and the methods we should pursue to get things done? How often if any at all do our bosses speak to us about "why" it is so important to do the things we do? Why do we need to work hard on a certain project? Is there a great meaningful purpose behind the project other than to benefit the company with improved sales and profits? Instead of looking only at profits alone, why not question whether doing certain things by a company serve any great meaning and purpose?
A great enduring company looks at a strong meaningful purpose and vision as a foundation to why they exist. They question the reason "why" they exist, to serve a greater meaning and purpose more than just being profits driven alone. A great healthcare company looks to serve their patients in terms of providing premium products and healthcare services to cater to their unique individual needs. This is the importance of questioning the "why" and not just the "what" and "how"(in terms of what medical treatment packages or healthcare products are available for sale and how to make the customers buy the services and products). By answering "why" customers should buy a product or service, a company can better innovate and market it's products and services to answer to the needs of it's consumers instead of convincing the customers to buy into the various features of a product or service that they may not have any needs for.
In marketing terms, the marketer should look to connect with the needs of the buyer. People do not care what you offer until you show you really care. This involves looking beyond the "what" (e.g. What products and services am I offering?). This also involves looking beyond the "how" (e.g. How can I market my products and services to make it attractive to my potential clients?). Instead, it instantly connects if the salesperson speaks to the needs of the potential buyer. For example, an insurance agent first gets to know the client well enough by questioning and listening to understand where are the needs of the client and why the client will need certain products or services before offering him the relevant insurance products and services that can meet his client's needs. The agent is not trying to convince his potential client of the good features of his products and services, but is only offering relevant products or services he believes can help answer the specific needs of his client.
In all the decisions and actions, this insurance agent is questioning "why" his potential client should buy certain products and services from him. He also understands fully and cherishes the meaning and purpose of "why" he is doing his trade. He does not see his trade as just a day job, but the job offers him an opportunity to fulfill a great meaning and purpose to help as many people he will meet. He hopes to help all his clients become financially better and also insured appropriately so that his clients' own and/or related family's future financial needs are covered against any unforeseen circumstances that threatens the basic survival of the client and/or family. He is working hard to meet the needs of his clients simply because he believes what he is doing will benefit as many people as possible instead of seeing it as only meeting his monthly sales targets and commisions. He is not constrained by only the "what" and "how" in his trade, but is inspired by the "why" of doing what he does.
Many great inventors also cherish the question "why" they are working on any great ideas. The Wright brothers set their dream on seeing man take flight opening another new method of travel never before when they invented the very first prototype of the more advanced airplanes we see in modern times. They persevere despite many failures until eventual success. "Why" do they persevere? They believe their dream of one day seeing man take flight into the air will change the course of the world. In the words of Orville Wright, "The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air."
Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves "why" we do certain things in life. It is important to reflect every now and then on "why" (the meaning and purpose) we are working on certain things to inspire our actions - the "what" and "how" things can be done. Asking the question "why" works in leadership, marketing and all we do in life. By asking "why" each time, one can be inspired to persevere in fulfilling great and meaningful purposes in life for ourselves and people around us.
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