If you have Google leadership or looked it up on YouTube, there’s a fair chance you will have come across the concept of the ‘Golden Circle. This is essentially a theory that suggests the most influential leaders are the ones that believe in what they’re doing. They know why they’re doing what they’re doing, which helps them to be more committed and enthusiastic – things that will come across to their audience.
But this concept can be applied more broadly than just in the boardroom. That’s because the question of ‘why’ is also something that can motivate an entire team – and it ties in nicely with independent research being carried out into the startup culture and why it is so successful.
What Startup Culture Has to Do With Why
If you look at Silicone Valley, it might appear that something unique is happening here. That is, countless new businesses are being born every day, and many are shifting paradigms and changing how we interact with technology. What’s going on?
There are many theories, but one argument is that startups experience more ‘flow’ than other businesses, making them more effective.
What is Flow?
Flow – or ‘flow states’ – describe a particular state of mind in which an individual is incredibly focused and alert – so much so that they lose track of everything else around them – even the passage of time!
This, in turn, leads to a situation where they can react faster, make better decisions, and ultimately involve themselves with the matter at hand. In neuroscience, the state is called ‘temporohypofrontality,’ and it is in some ways similar to a fight or flight response.
So when does this happen? Simple: when we are wholly committed to what we are doing. When we believe in it 100%, and we love it. That means we think something is significant but not life-threatening.
This happens when a startup truly believes in what it is doing.
And this is why startups change the world while old, stuffy businesses stay stagnant.
To become a great leader and inspire your team, you need to sell them on the vision of what you’re doing. You need to make them excited, and you need to explain why it matters.