WorksheetsSTART WITH WHY. SIMON SINEK
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Sinek describes the "School Bus Test" as the ability of an organization to thrive after its founder leaves. For a large __________ corporation, what is the best way to ensure that the original WHY remains clear in its many foreign subsidiaries?
Increase the salaries of all international managers to motivate them.
Focus only on WHAT the company sells, as the products are universal.
Clearly articulate the foundational WHY and integrate it into the culture, so that new leaders can continue the cause, not just manage operations.
Sell any subsidiary that is not immediately profitable.
In “When the WHY becomes blurry,” Sinek explains that companies lose their purpose and start competing on the WHAT. When a country's main business strategy becomes __________, selling products abroad for less than at home, it shows that the companies in the nation have a blurry WHY and rely on price manipulation to compete.
forming a strategic alliance
dumping
increasing innovation
promoting free trade
Sinek argues that communication is about listening, and symbols derive their meaning from people. McDonald's listens to its global customers by adapting its menu to local tastes, such as offering a pork Samurai burger in Thailand. This practice turns its brand into a symbol of what?
A company that believes its American menu is superior (ethnocentrism).
A company that demonstrates that its WHY is to be the "third space" of a community by adapting its WHAT (the menu) to fit local culture.
A company that uses short-term manipulation to increase sales.
A company that has lost its original purpose and has a "fuzzy WHY".
Sinek tells the story of the two stonecutters to show how a sense of purpose transforms work into a cause. The founder of Samasource, Leila Janah, created a cause, not just a company. Her story is a powerful example of __________ driven by the WHY of connecting people with "dignified work".
managing a multinational corporation
entrepreneurship
requesting a licensing agreement
establishing an import quota
Sinek teaches that a WHY is discovered from the past. Leila Janah's WHY for Samasource came from her experiences in Ghana and with the World Bank, where she realized that people want jobs, not just aid. This shows that her WHY was a personal discovery, not a market-driven invention.
It demonstrates that a founder's life experience is the most authentic source of a WHY.
It shows that her goal was only to achieve a commercial surplus for the U.S.
It was a form of countertrade to help developing nations.
It means that her only goal was financial achievement, not success.
In the history of American and Japanese automotive plants, Americans used a rubber mallet to fix doors at the end of the line, while the Japanese "designed it to fit from the beginning." This is a metaphor for what?
The American approach to free trade, while the Japanese prefer protectionism.
The difference between using short-term fixes (the mallet) versus starting with a clear WHY that ensures all the pieces (HOWs and WHATs) fit perfectly from the start.
The absolute advantage of Americans in automobile manufacturing.
The Japanese dependence on dumping their products in the U.S. market.
The Law of Diffusion of Innovations states that you must win over the innovators and early adopters before the mass market follows. These groups are not influenced by WHAT you do, but by WHY you do it. TiVo failed because it marketed its features (WHAT) to the mass market instead of what?
Announcing a better exchange rate for its products.
Communicating a clear WHY to the "left side of the curve" that trusts its instinct and intuition to make decisions.
Offering more counter-trade options to its customers.
Creating a joint venture with a cable company.
In “The New Competition,” Sinek tells the story of Ben Comen, the runner with cerebral palsy, to illustrate that when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you. What does this mean for a business facing intense competition?
A business must create an embargo against all competitors.
The only goal is to achieve a favorable commercial balance.
A company with a clear WHY focuses on being better than yesterday, not on defeating the competition, which inspires loyalty and support.
A company must constantly compare its features with the competition.
The "Celery Test" by Sinek is a filter to ensure that a company's actions (WHATs) are consistent with its beliefs (WHY). When Volkswagen, the "people's car," created a luxury car costing $70,000, it failed the test because:
it had a poor exchange rate in the U.S. market.
it was an example of dumping.
the product (WHAT) was completely inconsistent with the company's WHY of making quality and affordable cars for the average person.
it did not form a strategic alliance with a luxury brand.
Sinek explains that a WHY comes from the past of a founder. Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, found his inspiration in the coffee bars of Milan. This experience became the WHY that transformed Starbucks from a seller of coffee beans (a WHAT) into a provider of the 'third place' (a cause).
This proves that a powerful WHY is a discovery, not an invention of market research.
This shows that he was only interested in the company's balance sheet.
This was a licensing strategy to copy Italian cafes.
This was a form of ethnocentrism, believing that the Italian way was superior.
In the story of the two stonecutters, one sees his work as 'building a wall' (a WHAT), while the other sees it as 'building a cathedral' (a WHY). What strategy gives employees the best opportunity to feel like they are 'building a cathedral'?
Offer bonuses based solely on achieving sales targets.
Use fear-based messaging to ensure productivity.
A leader who consistently communicates the higher purpose or cause of the organization, so that employees see their work as a contribution to something greater.
Adopt an ethnocentric view of the company's culture.
Sam Walton built Wal-Mart around the WHY of serving people and the community. After his death, the company suffered a 'division' and the WHY became confusing, instead focusing on 'low prices' (a HOW that became a WHAT). The resulting scandals are proof that:
the company faced too much competition from multinational rivals.
when the WHY is lost, a company often acts in ways that contradict its foundational values, eroding trust and loyalty.
the company needed to engage in more dumping to keep prices low
free trade agreements were hurting the company’s profits.
In Part 4, Sinek explains that a WHY is just a belief, and the HOWs are the actions you take to realize it. The story of Samasource shows that Leila Janah's WHY was her belief in giving people 'dignified work'. Which of the following best represents the HOWs she created to bring that belief to life?
Expand to 16 centers in nine countries to grow the business.
Deliberately hire people without formal work experience and provide them with specialized training.
Obtain a degree in economic development from Harvard University.
Secure contracts with major companies like Google, Microsoft, and eBay.
Sinek argues that communication is 'about listening', not just talking. He explains that symbols, like logos, only have meaning when they clearly represent a WHY. What meaning have customers infused into the Harley-Davidson logo over time?
A belief in American values and a way for individuals to express their own identity.
The high stock price of the company and successful management.
The superior quality and engineering of their motorcycles compared to competitors.
The idea that their products are affordable for the average person.
According to the 'Celery Test', any decision (a WHAT) must be consistent with your WHY. In the 1970s, Southwest Airlines' WHY was to be the 'champion of the common man'. Which of the following WHATs was a perfect example of this belief in action?
Expand their routes to fly outside the continental United States.
Offer first-class seats to compete with larger airlines.
Have only two simple price categories—daytime and night/weekend—to make traveling easy and fair.
Hire only the most experienced pilots from other major airlines.
In Part 5, Sinek states that the 'greatest challenge any organization will face is success' because the WHY can become 'confusing'. Sam Walton's WHY for Wal-Mart was to serve people and the community. After his death, what did Wal-Mart's WHY become confused with?
A mission to improve employee benefits and wages.
A focus on global expansion into markets like China.
Its HOW—offering low prices—that became the main objective instead of the original cause.
An effort to create a more exclusive and high-end shopping experience.
Sinek describes a 'split' as the moment when the growth of what a company does (for example, revenue) separates from the clarity of its WHY. After Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985, the company went through a split. What was the most significant consequence of this?
The company immediately stopped selling the Macintosh computer.
Apple's stock price increased due to its new, more traditional CEO, John Sculley.
The company successfully expanded into many new product categories.
The inspiration was gone, and new products became 'less revolutionary and more evolutionary.'
When you follow your WHY, Sinek says, others will follow you. The story of Ben Comen shows that when you compete against yourself, "everyone wants to help you". How did this happen in Ben's races?
a) Other runners would stop racing to let him win.
b) The race organizers gave him a head start in every race.
c) His school provided him with advanced running equipment.
d) After the other runners finished, they would all come back to run alongside him and help him finish.
To prevent a "split" after a founder leaves, Sinek argues that the WHY must be integrated into the company's culture. Why was Southwest Airlines more successful at this than Wal-Mart was after Sam Walton's death?
Southwest’s cause was deeply ingrained in its culture, and its new leaders were chosen because they were a good fit who believed in that cause.
Southwest Airlines never became as large as Wal-Mart.
Sam Walton’s successors were not members of his family
Southwest never faced as much competition as Wal-Mart did.
As a current or future leader, you have absorbed the powerful principles in Start with Why. The following question is not about a single correct answer but about understanding the fundamental lessons for building an organization that inspires. Read each option carefully and reflect on which principle will most define your leadership style.
Now that I understand the principles of great leadership, I recognize that my primary responsibility as a leader is to embody the WHY of my organization. As I build my company, team, or movement, the most important lesson I will apply to ensure my vision has a lasting impact is:
To understand that my success will not be measured by what I achieve, but by the legacy I leave. Sustainable success comes from inspiring people with a clear purpose or cause (a WHY), not by manipulating them with short-term tactics like price, promotions, or fear. This is how I will build genuine loyalty.
To accept that my products, services, and goals (the WHATs) are not the final destination; they are the tangible proof of my organization’s cause. True authenticity, the kind that builds deep trust, only happens when what I do (WHAT) and how I do it (HOW) are consistently aligned with what I believe (WHY).
To know that my greatest challenge will be success itself, because it can make the original WHY go "fuzzy." To avoid the "split," where my organization's actions no longer align with its purpose, I must create a culture that measures the WHY, not just the WHAT, and ensure that any leader who succeeds me is chosen to carry on the original cause.
To realize that my role is not just to run a company, but to lead a movement. This begins by attracting those who believe what I believe (the early adopters). By inspiring them, they will naturally inspire the majority to follow, creating a tipping point that gives my cause a life of its own.
