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Speaker Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a powerful speaker who has given multiple TED Talks.  Sinek’s philosophy boils down to the idea that the best leaders are those who inspire trust in those that follow them. In the following TED Talks, Sinek discusses how to encourage others to follow you and buy what you’re selling along with how to instill trust in those who work for you. 

How great leaders inspire action

The greatest leaders of any organization need to know three things:

• The WHAT
• The HOW
• The WHY

Organizations can explain the “why” first and foremost, and use this as motivation to inspire others. Which Sinek explains how once a person accepts, why you are doing what you are doing. Therefore they’re much more likely to trust you, and by proxy your product. 

Using such examples such as Apple and the Wright brothers. Sinek shows how inspiration and passion are far more likely to yield long-term results. A simple drive to succeed is not enough. In the end, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. 

Why good leaders make you feel safe 

In the military, we give medals to people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others. In business, we give bonuses to people who are willing to sacrifice others to help themselves. There is rarely trust among members of a sales team. It all boils down to leadership and management. In business, leaders need to discipline, nurture, educate and challenge their employees. In a way that builds confidence and allows their employees to take risks. And to accept responsibility, and trust that their leaders have their back. 

Great leaders are the first to accept risk for which they are the first to sacrifice themselves so that the people they lead can feel safe and assured. This genuine concern for the sake of the people you lead is what inspires trust and brings out the best in those who follow you. It is the ingredient that allows a team to work cohesively without fear. 

Why I like these talks 

Concepts like those discussed by Simon Sinek mirror the principles by which PSXDigital’s philosophy is built. We believe that technology should not be a whistleblowing tool or a reason for salespeople to feel micromanaged and under-the-gun. Our integrated platform feels natural and encourages team cohesiveness and trust. Often, the success or failure of implementing a new system in business hinges how people feel about it.  The worst way to feel about new software is that it might be used to harm you or take away your freedom. This is why our system is created to empower salespeople and make their life easier in a naturally collaborative way.

Great Leadership comes down to only two rules

Peter Anderton, an Organizational Development Manager for 3M UK. Discusses how the rules for leadership are very old, fundamental truths that we have forgotten.

The first rule that we need to remember is that being a leader is not about being in the spotlight. Managers, and leaders, take it upon themselves to be powerful figureheads.  They neglect the fundamental truth that the best leaders are those who are unseen. Their followers from the back of the flock.

The second rule that Peter Anderton impresses upon us. Is that it is not your accomplishments, pride, or ability to dictate what makes you a good leader. It is the ability to be a hard-working, collaborative, open-minded person, that you want your employees to be. If you want the people who follow you to change the process, start by changing yourself. 

Why I like this talk 

Looking at the best technology we have today, I see the makings of a good leader. Good systems facilitate progress from behind the scenes and never takes credit for the work and effort of others. It empowers other people and gives them the tools and confidence to succeed. It’s the kind of technology that brings people together, rather than pushing them apart. This helps eliminate mundane tasks so that each person’s individuality shines to its fullest potential. Having good technology fills in the cracks and is the safety net that is there to catch us when we fall. It organizes data in a way that inspires action and motivates a cohesive team to achieve a common goal. 

“A leader works for those they lead.” — Martine Rothblatt, founder, Sirius, United Therapeutics

Jason Fried: “Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work” 

Jason Fried, the co-founder of 37signals and co-author of the book “Rework”, discusses a revolutionary way of thinking about the limitations of the workplace in his talk “Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work”. Of all the talks listed on this page, I believe that this one is the most forward-thinking.

Fried discusses how hard organizations try to bring people together at an office or in the physical workplace. However, most people, when interviewed, will say that they get the most work done in favorite haunts and quiet places that they frequent in their life. Some say their porch, others their car, but none seem to say they get the most work done in their office. Why is that? Jason Fried claims that it is because our eight-hour workday is more like an 8-hour time frame in which to experience small episodes of work. In between these episodes, we are constantly interrupted by meetings, phone calls, and other urgent business. With managers who are constantly checking on what their employees are doing, scheduling meetings, and otherwise disturbing the workflow are interrupting the thought processes and focus of those they employ. Among other techniques, Jason Fried recommends moving away from face-to-face communication and towards emails and messaging. 

Why I like this talk 

I feel that Jason Fried hit the nail on the head. One of the issues with trying to get work done at work is that you rarely have enough time to get into the swing of things. Before you are being asked to change direction, think differently, or have your focus in some way broken by the input or needs of others.

This is why PSXDigital’s CXMAi platform facilitates communication through text messaging and emails. Our software updates the status of interactions and tracks valuable information, all without ever interrupting a salesperson’s workflow. Our system makes a real focus possible, without limiting the communication and transparency between the sales team and management.

Using PSXDigital, managers can finally operate from behind the scenes and be the leader that facilitates success and brings out the best in their employees. We make it possible to achieve a comfortable sense of control without interfering with an employee’s sense of individuality and independence. 

Julian Treasure; How to speak so that people want to listen!

Julian Treasure, the chair of the Sound Agency (a firm that advises worldwide businesses on how to use sound), discusses the ‘seven deadly sins of conversation’ and the four powerful ways to improve your conversation style. Her suggestions on what not to say in a conversation seemed fairly straightforward and intuitive to anyone who is in the management position. However her tips for improving your conversational style are powerful and tie in easily with the other talks on this page.

Julian Treasure talks about how honesty, authenticity, and integrity can become conversational tools that will encourage real listening skills in your audience. I recommend that salespeople check out the YouTube channel called Charisma on Command. This channel heavily emphasizes the fact that speaking with honesty and integrity is one of the most charismatic ways to talk to others. Julian Treasure also gives us a few different useful tools which we can use in our speech patterns to enhance the way that we talk, such as pace, pitch, and register. 

Why I like this talk 

Most of what we hear today is inspirational or motivational speaking that discusses the philosophy behind how to succeed. However while these talks may feel inspirational at the time, they sometimes don’t make a lasting impression. I feel that one reason for this is that these motivational speakers can impress upon us a valuable perspective, but they rarely give us specific instructions that can help us to change our behaviors. For that reason, I appreciate it when a speaker offers us a bit of a balance by giving us the tools we need to succeed and actionable concepts we can apply today to change our behavior for the better. 

The Conclusion

As we move more and more into the social age of technology, our concepts of how to bring out the best in our leadership and employees invariably must evolve. Surprisingly, we find ourselves defaulting back to the tried and true methods of the past – a foundation that we’ve long forgotten, but which still rings true to this day. Looking forward, I’m excited to see a business world that brings back the freedom of expression and the social art that good sales used to be before salespeople became assets of a statistically driven factory-like workplace.

Technology brought with it many growing pains for the business industry, but now, artificially intelligent software like PSXDigital’s CXMAi can finally bring a fresh, new, powerful way to connect people on a level like never before. Powersports is booming, and the future is bright for those of us on the cutting edge of the new socially intelligent technological revolution!

Sources (that you MUST check out!):

How great leaders inspire action – https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

Why good leaders make you feel safe – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo

How to speak so that people want to listen. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI

Great Leadership comes down to only two rules – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDsMlmfLjd4

Jason Fried: “Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work” – https://www.ted.com/talks/jason_fried_why_work_doesn_t_happen_at_work?language=en

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