Simon Sinek: Building High-Performing Teams

Simon Sinek has dedicated his career to inspiring purpose-driven leaders worldwide. At Oslo Business Forum 2025, Simon joined moderator Lillian Gjerluf Kretz for a wide-ranging discussion on optimism, purpose, and the realities of leadership in uncertain times. His insights came back to a central theme: leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about cultivating trust, resilience, and a long-term mindset.

Optimism with Honesty
Simon challenged the common misconception that optimism is blind positivity. False positivity, he warned, can make people feel worse. True optimism acknowledges difficulty while pointing toward possibility. It sounds like this:

"It's a difficult time and I don't know how long it will last, but if we stick together and take care of each other, we'll get through it."

Optimism, he argued, is a choice. "At the end of the day, you'll always find the thing you're looking for. If you want to find darkness, you'll find it. If you want to find light, you'll find it."


"At the end of the day, you'll always find the thing you're looking for."

Simon Sinek is a leadership visionary, best-selling author of Start with Why, and the host of the podcast "A Bit of Optimism.".

Overwhelm and Asking for Help
The number one reason leaders fail, Simon said, is that they think they have to do it all alone. That belief leads to feelings of overwhelm and poor decision-making. His advice is to share the burden. Ask for help, especially from your team.

During the pandemic, when his business collapsed overnight, Simon asked his team to generate 15 ideas each within 48 hours. It pushed people beyond their first, obvious solutions. The exercise not only produced breakthrough ideas but also fostered a culture of contribution rather than competition. "The team knows a lot," he said. "People on the frontline often have the best ideas."


Rediscovering Purpose
Simon reminded leaders that his "why, how, what" framework began as an autobiographical crisis. His company was doing well, but he'd lost the will to go to work. Rediscovering his why reignited his passion. 

"We all know what we do, some of us know how we do it, but we rarely know why we do it," he said.

He encouraged leaders to use symbols and reminders to stay anchored to their purpose, and to remember that their personal and professional selves are inseparable. He believes one of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking that who we are at home is different than who we are at work.

"I become a better person because I'm trying to be a better leader, and I become a better leader because I'm trying to become a better person," he said.


People Before Profit
Too many leaders, Simon argued, get lost in data and spreadsheets. Under financial pressure, it can be easy to forget that business is, at its core, a human endeavor. "You can run a company, but you can only lead people."

While short-term incentives may push CEOs to prioritize profit, he urged leaders to remember that people-first strategies often yield greater long-term success. 

"If you're looking to build a company that can outlast you and bring you joy and excitement, there are different ways to do that," he said. "If you think about people first, it can end up being more profitable. The data proves it."

Leadership requires balancing head and heart, logic and intuition. "Well-meaning leaders get it wrong when they leave people out of the equation," he said. 

Rethinking Competition
Simon dismissed the idea of "winning" in business. Unlike sports, there's no finish line. Business is an infinite game where rules, players, and duration constantly change. Leaders with a finite mindset—one focused only on beating the competition—undermine trust. "If leaders talk about being the best, I know they're playing with a finite mindset."

"There's no such thing as winning in business."

Instead, the goal should be to strive for constant improvement and resilience. "In sports, we practice winning, not getting a certain score," he said. "You practice the play, and on gameday you play that play to perfection."

Mental Fitness and Vulnerability
Simon reframed mental health as mental fitness, something that he considers an ongoing practice. By being open about their doubts and struggles, leaders create cultures where others feel safe to do the same. Vulnerability, he said, takes courage but strengthens trust. "My confidence in doubt means that my team is confident in doubt."

When he's asked about the most important skills leaders need to develop, he feels it's a trick question. "You're eventually going to have to do all of it, so start with the one that feels easy," he said. "You'll never be perfect at all of them, and your progress will go up and down, but that's ok."

Loyalty as a Feeling
Loyalty, Simon argued, has eroded from a feeling into a transaction. Previous generations trusted companies to provide lifelong stability; today's workforce is skeptical, shaped by layoffs and insecurity. He sees an opportunity for leaders to make business relational again, grounded in trust and care rather than contracts. "We need to fix loyalty so that it's no longer a transaction," he said. "We need to take it back to being a feeling."

Simon's Challenge to Leaders
Simon closed with three simple actions leaders can take immediately:

1. Talk about your mistakes, not your successes.
2. Call a friend and ask for help.
3. Create space and stop trying to fix everything.

Key Points

• Optimism is honest, not naïve. Acknowledge difficulty while holding on to possibility.
• Asking for help builds strength. Inviting contributions fosters resilience and innovation that can extend across the team.
• Purpose sustains passion. Rediscover your why and anchor it with symbols and rituals.
• Business is an infinite game. Abandon the notion of "winning" and focus on long-term improvement.
• Mental fitness matters. Vulnerability and openness build trust and create healthier teams.
• Loyalty must be rebuilt. It's not transactional, but relational. It's a feeling leaders must earn.

Questions to Consider

• How am I keeping my "why" alive in daily practice?
• When was the last time I asked my team for help instead of carrying the burden alone?
• Am I playing with a finite mindset, or leading with an infinite view?

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