Who Not How Book Summary - Who Not How Book explained in key points

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Who Not How summary

Name: Who Not How
Rating: 4.5 (582 reviews)
Author: Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy

Dan Sullivan Benjamin Hardy

The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

4.5 (582 ratings)

21 mins

Brief summary

"Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy is a guide to shifting from a "how-to" mentality to a "who-to" one, showing how collaboration and the creation of partnerships can lead to more efficient and successful outcomes.

Topics

Teamwork Goals Entrepreneurship Work Culture Leadership

Table of Contents

Who Not How
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn to delegate tasks effectively and focus on your unique abilities.

What was the first thing you did last time you had a goal? If you’re like most people, you probably started by asking yourself: How can I achieve it? But while that’s a totally understandable first step, it isn’t always the right one; in fact, it often leads you down a distressing path. Suddenly, all of the responsibility, stress, and pressure lies on your shoulders alone.

So what can you do about it? In the following blinks, you’ll learn to look for a Who instead of a How. Through anecdotes drawn from the coauthors’ collaborators and coaching clients, you’ll discover the immense value in making this mindset switch. By finding someone who can take over tasks you don’t need to do yourself, you can free up energy to focus on areas you truly excel in, be those business vision or strategy, or personal goals like spending more time with your family.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why the Chicago Bulls needed more than Michael Jordan to win an NBA championship;
how to translate more time into higher income; and
the crucial difference between a transactional and transformational relationship.

"Whos" help you focus on your unique abilities and achieve your goals.

The year is 1984. A promising young basketball star has just been drafted by the Chicago Bulls. His name is Michael Jordan, and it soon becomes clear that he’s one of the best players in the NBA – maybe even the best.

And yet, despite the emerging star’s best efforts, Jordan’s first three seasons with the Bulls are frustrated by early eliminations in the playoffs. For the Bulls, Jordan’s individual athletic prowess just doesn’t translate to championship victories – or even making it past the first round of the playoffs.

Rather than figuring out how to win a championship alone, Jordan needs help – someone who can support his amazing abilities in the context of a team sport. Jordan doesn’t need a How; he needs a Who.

The key message here is: Whos help you focus on your unique abilities and achieve your goals.

When you enlist a Who to assist you in a project or goal, you find someone who can take over tasks that don’t belong to your core talents. As it turned out, Jordan needed several Whos before the Bulls embarked on their famous run of six championship victories. The first arrived in 1987 – a rookie by the name of Scottie Pippen, who helped Jordan improve his own game while also becoming a better team player. But even then, for the next three seasons, the Bulls still couldn’t make it into the finals; they still relied too much on Jordan’s solo abilities. Jordan and Pippen needed another Who with the vision to grow the team into a tight-knit powerhouse.

When Phil Jackson became the Bulls’ head coach in 1989, he soon realized that, while several players were very talented, he needed to develop a strategy using the whole team. He called this the triangle offense. Over the next few years, the Bulls perfected this strategy, and they went on to win six championships between 1991 and 1998. None of this would have happened through Jordan’s virtuosity alone.

The Chicago Bull’s road to success isn’t just a nice story. It also begs the question at the crux of the Who Not How philosophy. If one of the greatest basketball players of all time needed several Whos to achieve his goals, what about you? What are you trying to accomplish, and who can help you do it?

"Whos" broaden your vision and expand your efficacy.

When author and entrepreneur Richie Norton was 16 years old, all he wanted to do was get a job and make some money of his own.

Since typical summer jobs at grocery stores and gas stations involved a lot of work for low pay, Richie’s father suggested taking a different route. He told him to call all the watermelon farms in the area and ask if he could buy any misshapen or oddly sized watermelons at a discount, then sell them on to people who didn’t require flawless watermelons.

Procrastination can be devastating for your confidence and well-being, but it’s also a sign of wisdom.

What comes to mind when you hear the word procrastination? Do you think of the 90 percent of college students who are chronic procrastinators? Or maybe you picture an aspiring entrepreneur who’s been itching to make a business idea a reality.

Whatever the scenario, most people can relate to some form of procrastination. And all too often, it’s the negative effects that give procrastination consistently bad publicity. The psychological effects of procrastination are particularly harmful – it magnifies feelings of guilt and shame, diminishes self-confidence, and can even worsen symptoms of depression and physical health problems.

With freedom of time comes freedom of money.

After years as a real estate agent in Toronto, Dean Jackson decided to move to Florida and establish a business to coach other agents. In 1997, he partnered up with a friend, and together they began holding monthly coaching events. He wanted to focus entirely on his new business, so he hired someone to clean his condominium each week in Orlando.

Then it dawned on him: the person cleaning his home each week, Mandy, could do a lot more than just cleaning. What if she could make Jackson’s condo “one-week ready?” That meant cleaning the house and car, grocery shopping, doing laundry – all tasks that would free up Jackson’s time tremendously.

Transformational leaders commit to results, not processes.

Nicole Wipp, an attorney in Michigan, founded her own law firm in the wake of the 2008 financial crash. Early on, she had no employees, so she was responsible for every aspect of her business, from telephone meetings with clients to appearances in court, not to mention emails, research, and legal writing. After a year and a half of grueling 80- to 100-hour workweeks, she knew that something had to change.

Wipp was an experienced attorney, but even after working around the clock, she still didn’t have either freedom of time or freedom of money. The truth is, she didn’t have to do everything herself. In fact, others were better suited to doing many of her tasks.

Creating value in all relationships ensures they are transformational and not transactional.

You’ve seen how helpful Whos can be with the right vision and commitment. But what if you’re also someone else’s Who? More often than not, the world of Who Not How is a two-way street. Someone might be helping you accomplish a goal, but you can also help them realize their own ambitions.

A vital element of success is providing others with value, because neither freedom of time nor freedom of money are achievable without freedom of relationship – the ability to connect with anyone you wish to exchange value.

Collaboration expands your freedom of purpose.

Think back to your days in elementary school. How frequently were you and your classmates encouraged to collaborate on homework and exams? Most people would probably say this was rare. Because often, children are taught from a young age onward that getting help from others is considered cheating. So it’s no wonder that this view persists into adulthood, where getting help is tangled up with guilty feelings.

This mindset also emphasizes isolation over working with others, even if it limits your progress. Here’s the problem: eschewing all assistance limits your freedom of purpose – in other words, the ability to develop relationships with others. But by welcoming collaborative relationships as a necessity rather than a nice-to-have, you can broaden the impact of your project.

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What is Who Not How about?

Who Not How (2020) introduces a new way of thinking about entrepreneurship, goal setting, and collaboration. Developed by business coach Dan Sullivan, the Who Not How mindset shows the importance of delegating tasks to others. By inviting them to help you achieve your goals, you’ll gain more free time, increase your income, and develop valuable, lasting professional relationships.

Who Not How Review

Who Not How (2021) explores a powerful paradigm shift that can revolutionize the way we approach our goals and tasks. Here's what makes this book worth reading:

It introduces the concept of collaboration and delegation as key drivers of success, allowing readers to tap into the expertise of others and achieve more.
With its insightful case studies and practical examples, the book offers a roadmap for leveraging the talents and skills of others to overcome challenges.
The book's focus on relationships and teamwork adds depth to the content, making it not only informative but also inspiring and relatable.

Who should read Who Not How?

Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to realize a business idea
Burned-out professionals with a desire for more free time
Perfectionists on the hunt for procrastination cures

About the Author

Dan Sullivan is an entrepreneurial coach, consultant, and strategic planner. As founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc., Sullivan has helped entrepreneurs around the world accomplish personal and professional goals. He’s the author or coauthor of numerous books and publications, including Who Do You Want To Be A Hero To? and The Gap and the Gain.

Dr. Benjamin Hardy is an organizational psychologist. Hardy’s blogs have been read by over 100 million people and featured in publications such as the New York Times and Harvard Business Review. He cowrote The Gap and the Gain with Dan Sullivan, authored Willpower Doesn’t Work and Personality Isn’t Permanent.

Categories with Who Not How

Productivity Entrepreneurship Management & Leadership

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