Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy - Book Discussion

[MTF]

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork is a very simple book. In its essence, the authors posit that to achieve more, you need to shift your thinking from HOW you can do it to WHO can help you do it or WHO can do it for you. Ultimately, it's about leverage in the form of working with others instead of thinking that you can do everything best. This applies not only to business but also personal life (stuff like cooking, cleaning, having a good fitness program, even driving a car).

I'm a lone wolf by nature and find it very hard to work with other people but this book made me realize that perhaps it's a skill I need to work on more. Looking back, some of the best stuff I've created was actually the result of collaborations and/or just one piece of advice given to me by someone else (I owe just one person with her right advice at the right time most of my business results).

Here are my three favorite excerpts:

Do you have Whos in your life that give you the perspectives, resources, and ability to go beyond what you could do alone? Or are you keeping your goals so small to make them easier to accomplish them on your own? Do you really think you must be the one to put in the blood, sweat, and tears, bearing the whole load to prove your capability?

“As an individual, your time and attention are linear and finite. You only have so much. So, when you ask yourself, ‘How?’ then you have to be the one to find out where to learn, you have to be the one to actually learn how to do it, and once you’ve learned how to do it, then you have to be the one to actually do the task for the unforeseen future. If at some point in the future, you decide to hire someone to do it for you, then you’ll have to train them.”

Our culture has brainwashed us into avoiding costs rather than making powerful investments in ourselves and our futures. As a result, we willingly do all sorts of “busy” or ineffective work outside our expertise and passion, falsely believing that “working hard” or engaging in such tasks is worth it.

What are your main lessons from the book? Do you have any examples from your life how looking for WHO instead of HOW helped you achieve more?

Thanks @Tiago for the recommendation.

 

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[RealDreams]

I saw your recommendation on the books thread and decided to give it a read. I was left amazed after 5 pages. Completely shifted my perspective. I've always thought that the best way to reach your goals was to screw up everyone else and just do everything by yourself, design, marketing, coding, and so on. Well, it didn't work out very well for me.

I ended up thinking that way because I had a bad experience with a business partner in the past and from there on I thought that having control of the production of your product is the most important thing. Now, I start thinking the problem was me, I was a bad leader.

I was the proverbial micro-manager, and my business partner left me. I think you need a balance...leading skills but also skills that are necessary to build the product you intend to sell, or at least have enough money to replace someone who leaves you.

 

[Deleted78083]

I haven't read the book, but the title annoys me. I'd rather say "Why, not how". But then Hardy, as good of a writer as he is, is not known for choosing particularly good titles for his books.