Start with Why by Simon Sinek is a great pivot from the business standard of prioritizing what or how (though these are important things to know as well), but I think it can be a little confusing to divide out what why we allow to guide our compass.

For instance, my personal why is to intentionally provide and care for my family. This why is not going to inspire my employees or me to show up day to day to run or support a business. For that cause, we could be showing up anywhere to provide for our families. Why should we choose to work for the business we are working for?

As a business owner or Executive, it is important to know and be able to distinguish between the 3 why’s. I argue that there are three main why’s we need to take into account in order to intentionally run a successful company.

1. What is your personal motivation for starting or running a company?
   This question should be both its own thing as well as encapsulate the rest of the answers here.
   Ex.
   Part 1: I desire to care for and provide for my family.
   Part 2: I desire to effect change within my industry and others. It is my desire to bring empathy to market in a way that will benefit all people – the owners and executives, the employees, and the consumers – and inevitably change the world by the people we look to as leaders be better leaders.
2. What is the vision you want to bring forth that you have for the future?
   This should be strong enough to rally your people or the employees of the company and give them a sense of belonging & being part of something bigger than themselves every day.
3. What effect does this have on the person consuming, supporting, and following your company into that future?
   Why should people care? What effect does your company’s why have on their future?

This is the formula to devising a strong why. Of course, you must be able to live out these convictions once you’ve formulated them and inspire others in the company to do the same. That is what being a leader is all about: having the strength to stand by your own convictions and to inspire others to do the same. This is why it is so important to factor in your personal reasons for taking part in this grand vision. If you can’t honestly live for your vision, how can you expect others to? If you don’t walk the talk and can’t inspire your people to do the same, your company’s vision will be seen as hollow and your company will eventually die.