neocortex vs limbic system

I came across a very interesting concept from renowned leadership coach Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why’. It revolves around something called the golden circle which consists of 3 concentric circles. The innermost circle depicts ‘why’, the mid-circle depicts ‘how’ and the outer circle depicts ‘what’. He basically states that a consumer really buys the ‘why’ of a business rather than the ‘what’. If this is not clear to you yet, it’s totally understandable. The ‘why’ of a business represents what the business really stands for and why it exists in the first place. Mission-driven companies (like Apple and Southwest Airlines) that consumers can truly resonate with, have a very powerful ‘why’. The ‘what’ refers to the actual product or service that the business is selling. While, the ‘what’ of a business is definitely important, it is the ‘why’ of a business that truly gives it a competitive edge.

Now coming to how this correlate with the title of this blog. The neocortex is the rational and analytical side of our brain. The ‘what’ of the business appeals to this side of the brain which is purely concerned with the functional and monetary value that can be derived from a product or service. Whereas, the limbic system which is the creative and emotional side of the brain, responds to something more intangible to the consumers and is primarily concerned with the social and psychological value that can be derived from the product or service. The ‘why’ of a business incites loyalty and creates a more lasting hook in the mind of the consumer than the ‘what’ alone.