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Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
The world's foremost entrepreneurial coach shows you how to make a mindset shift that opens the door to explosive growth and limitless possibility--in your business and your life.Have you ever had a new idea or a goal that excites you... but not enough time to execute it? What about a goal you really want to accomplish...but can't because instead of taking action, you procrastinate? Do you feel like the only way things are going to get done is if you do them? But what if it wasn't that way? What if you had a team of people around you that helped you accomplish your goals (while you helped them accomplish theirs)?When we want something done, we've been trained to ask "How can I do this?" Well, there is a better question to ask. One that unlocks a whole new world of ease and accomplishment. Expert coach Dan Sullivan knows the question we should ask "Who can do this for me?"This may seem simple. And it is. But don't let the lack of complexity fool you. By mastering this question, you will quickly learn how billionaires and successful entrepreneurs like Dan build incredible businesses and personal freedom.This book will teach you how to make this essential paradigm-shift so you * Build a successful business effectively while not killing yourself * Immediately free-up 1,000+ hours of work that you shouldn't be doing anyway * Bypass the typical scarcity and decline of aging and other societal norms * Increase your vision in all areas of life and build teams of WHOs to support you in that vision * Never be limited in your goals and ambitions again * Expand your abundance of wealth, innovation, relationships, and joy * Build a life where everything you do is your choice--how you spend your time, how much money you make, the quality of your relationships, and the type of work you doMaking this shift involves retraining your brain to stop limiting your potential based on what you solely can do and instead focus on the nearly infinite and endless connections between yourself and other people as well as the limitless transformation possible through those connections.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2020
2284 people are currently reading
19803 people want to read
About the author
Dan Sullivan
79 books299 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Dan has over 35 years’ experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups.
He is author of over 40 publications, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller: Who Not How, The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, Creative Destruction, and How The Best Get Better®. He is co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth and The Advisor Century.
Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto.
Dan has over 35 years’ experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups.
He is author of over 40 publications, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller: Who Not How, The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, Creative Destruction, and How The Best Get Better®. He is co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth and The Advisor Century.
Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
February 6, 2025
Don't ask how you're going to do it. Ask who's going to do it for you.
That's really the gist of this book. Why do it yourself when you can outsource it and all the benefits of freeing up your time and having someone else do the work. The very book was not written by Dan Sullivan because he did just that though Benjamin Hardy, who wrote it, pitched him the idea of writing it.
I couldn't finish this book because it was pretty much the above repeated in so many ways that it just screamed entitled rich man delegating his work. Also expect "who not how" to be in practically every other sentence. You'll be seeing these words in your nightmares with how often they're thrown at you.
I enjoyed the beginnings of the book but then it started to drag after the first section. Though the book is pretty short, it is still fairly too long.
Final verdict? Good idea, beaten into the ground until it begs for mercy. Read the summary, skip the book, and maybe go find a who to finish it for you.
That's really the gist of this book. Why do it yourself when you can outsource it and all the benefits of freeing up your time and having someone else do the work. The very book was not written by Dan Sullivan because he did just that though Benjamin Hardy, who wrote it, pitched him the idea of writing it.
I couldn't finish this book because it was pretty much the above repeated in so many ways that it just screamed entitled rich man delegating his work. Also expect "who not how" to be in practically every other sentence. You'll be seeing these words in your nightmares with how often they're thrown at you.
I enjoyed the beginnings of the book but then it started to drag after the first section. Though the book is pretty short, it is still fairly too long.
Final verdict? Good idea, beaten into the ground until it begs for mercy. Read the summary, skip the book, and maybe go find a who to finish it for you.
October 30, 2020
Some good ideas / concepts, but this really could have been a 2-page article and nothing would have been lost.
November 10, 2020
It's got a cool story and delivers a very useful concept but how this grew beyond a handful of pages is beyond me. I didn't learn a single thing past reading the synapsis here on Goodreads (granted I couldn't stomach finishing the whole thing).
January 30, 2021
The concept is great. But it isn't fully applicable to your professional life when you're at the bottom of the totem pole. Because then you're everyone else's Who. Granted, it did have me thinking about how I need to be networking more so that when I have a How I can ask a Who for advice.
So I mostly started using it in my personal life. Which does not delight my boyfriend. Getting behind on laundry - let's look into a laundry service. You want to know what I want to do for Valentine's Day? Make me a list of 3 things we should do, then get back to me. How am I going to learn how to diet and take better care of myself? Joined Noom, paid for the extra meal plans and workout plans.
I do think this falls into the category of thinking smarter not harder, but it certainly applies better if you've got money to spend and a Who to find your Whos. I was able to use it a bit in reverse to help a friend who was seeking a promotion at work by helping her frame the ask in a way that would give her boss more freedom of time and other benefits described in the book.
I think it will be helpful to me later in life and not a bad practice to start putting into place now to develop the habit. For now, it gives me a greater focus on asking for help - I don't need to learn how to do everything myself from scratch. There are talented Whos out there that have the experience and knowledge I'm seeking and I can learn from them and seek out those types of resources.
So I mostly started using it in my personal life. Which does not delight my boyfriend. Getting behind on laundry - let's look into a laundry service. You want to know what I want to do for Valentine's Day? Make me a list of 3 things we should do, then get back to me. How am I going to learn how to diet and take better care of myself? Joined Noom, paid for the extra meal plans and workout plans.
I do think this falls into the category of thinking smarter not harder, but it certainly applies better if you've got money to spend and a Who to find your Whos. I was able to use it a bit in reverse to help a friend who was seeking a promotion at work by helping her frame the ask in a way that would give her boss more freedom of time and other benefits described in the book.
I think it will be helpful to me later in life and not a bad practice to start putting into place now to develop the habit. For now, it gives me a greater focus on asking for help - I don't need to learn how to do everything myself from scratch. There are talented Whos out there that have the experience and knowledge I'm seeking and I can learn from them and seek out those types of resources.
April 7, 2021
Listen. I get it. I'm not an entrepreneur so this book isn't for me and therefore I shouldn't bash it or feel isolated by it. AND YET. I am absolutely awestruck by every chapter I read because every I keep thinking Hardy can't get any more out of touch, and yet every ten pages or so he proves me wrong. This book reads like a circle-jerk of him and his successful friends creaming their pants over how smart they are and how they "changed for the better" but the entire premise is based on already being successful enough to afford other people doing work for you while you sit around and dictate what everyone else should do. The whole system covered in this work can be summed up by simply stating that, "If you have enough money, just abandon your responsibilities to other people and managers and web designers so you can fuck off on your yacht with your family for a week or so". They even have the balls to dedicate a chapter to the concept titled "If You Have Enough Money to Solve a Problem, You Don't Have a Problem" like no shit, asshole why do you think we don't see CEOs doing any work that requires actual thought? And I get it, Hardy/Sullivan claims that other people/Whos are "an investment" and that other people provide services you couldn't possibly perform yourself, but, much like the stock market, these investments are only possible if you have enough capital that risks don't really mean much to you. And there's nothing wrong with hiring qualified people for jobs that you can't do, but at least have the self-awareness to realize that not everyone can just hand over thousands in monthly salaries to people who do your work for you, let alone cough up $25k to be part of the Genius Network so that they can do the business equivalent of dogs sniffing each others' assholes. And it should be mentioned that Sullivan/Hardy consistently talk about how the cost of these Whos are far outweighed by the amount of profit they end up generating, and yet they never ponder the fact that maybe the people whose work created the opportunity for these economical successes should in any way be rewarded for what they've done. Instead, these people just talk about what they get out of the deal and continually reduce those that make their money to "investments" devoid of any personhood or desires of their own (because surely the guy you hire to fix your website doesn't need any of the money you make from his work and certainly doesn't have any desires of his own and should just be happy with the fact that he got a job for a week right?). Anyway fuck this book and eat the rich.
July 31, 2021
This is a great little read that will expand your thinking. Though a bit repetitive on the title theme of Who Not How, that little shift in thinking does get drilled into you by the time you finish it. Certainly a way to move toward more collaboration and less competition, have more free time for yourself, and work with less effort and more results. Great book for leaders.
January 5, 2021
Un concepto poderoso que se puede resumir fácilmente
He leído varios libros de Benjamin Hardy, así como sus artículos en Medium e inclusive tomé su programa de mentoría en 2019, admiro mucho su forma de pensar y todo lo que he aprendido de él, sin embargo este libro me dejó un vacío. Creo que el concepto es poderoso y que está muy bien explicado, pero no da para un libro completo, se puede resumir de una forma muy sencilla sin ser tan repetitivo.
Es posible que en mi caso sea un sesgo ya que conozco mucho del autor y su filosofía, posiblemente para un primer lector sea más interesante.
He leído varios libros de Benjamin Hardy, así como sus artículos en Medium e inclusive tomé su programa de mentoría en 2019, admiro mucho su forma de pensar y todo lo que he aprendido de él, sin embargo este libro me dejó un vacío. Creo que el concepto es poderoso y que está muy bien explicado, pero no da para un libro completo, se puede resumir de una forma muy sencilla sin ser tan repetitivo.
Es posible que en mi caso sea un sesgo ya que conozco mucho del autor y su filosofía, posiblemente para un primer lector sea más interesante.
November 18, 2020
Great concept
The “Who Not How” concept might be a game changer for me. I instantly got it when reading the introduction, and then Part 1. The concept itself is worth 5 stars. It’s just the book kind of ran out of gas after Part 2.
The “Who Not How” concept might be a game changer for me. I instantly got it when reading the introduction, and then Part 1. The concept itself is worth 5 stars. It’s just the book kind of ran out of gas after Part 2.
January 4, 2021
An important book to read, and whose concepts MUSTbe put into practice
As an admirer of the work that Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy have done individually, I was sure that a collaboration, two “whos” getting together, would be a good hit. And a good it it is!
The issue with these kind of books is what happens immediately after one has finished reading them.
The issue is to put things into practice, and change the way we do things.
This requires thinking, and thinking is hard, and in most cases we do NOT dedicate time to thinking, so the concepts slide into the past, and no change happens.
Time for me, and everyone, to change this default state.
This review is just the start of a written reflection, a “thinking on paper” exercise, like my friend and great thinker Jean Moroney calls it.
For me, it’s time to shift to my journal.
For you, dear readers, it’s time to get this book and read it. Make Dan and Ben your “whos”. Now.
As an admirer of the work that Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy have done individually, I was sure that a collaboration, two “whos” getting together, would be a good hit. And a good it it is!
The issue with these kind of books is what happens immediately after one has finished reading them.
The issue is to put things into practice, and change the way we do things.
This requires thinking, and thinking is hard, and in most cases we do NOT dedicate time to thinking, so the concepts slide into the past, and no change happens.
Time for me, and everyone, to change this default state.
This review is just the start of a written reflection, a “thinking on paper” exercise, like my friend and great thinker Jean Moroney calls it.
For me, it’s time to shift to my journal.
For you, dear readers, it’s time to get this book and read it. Make Dan and Ben your “whos”. Now.
October 11, 2021
In length, barely a book - more like a pop business op-ed written two or three ways and loop-de-looped onto itself, with minor perspective shifts and a handful of examples to illustrate each shift. Read the intro and you can infer the rest.
That's pretty unfortunate, because the message of Who Not How is really important for getting goals-oriented people to shift their mindset from "if it's going to happen, I must learn how to do it" to "who is already equipped and eager to help me do this?" It's not like Sullivan & Hardy don't have a point worth making here.
The big, glaring omission, inclusion of which would have made this book truly valuable, is how to operate from this mindset when you don't already have resources. If you can't afford to pay a "who," and I don't mean in the "I don't want to devote budget to that" sense that Hardy addresses, but in the "my enterprise is a charitable nonprofit or passion project with no viable revenue model" sense that he doesn't address, how do you go about attracting "whos" to your cause? What can you offer them? And will the people willing to be a "who" on those terms be the right "who" or the wrong "who" for the job? And since you've never tried your own hand at the "how," how would you even assess the "who's" work?
A good concept underdeveloped does not a book make. It's pretty unfortunately obvious that this project is a cheaply-painted marketing lure for Sullivan and Hardy's respective brands. It could've been so much more.
Maybe in five years, with a new edition expanded by research and conceptual exploration, it will be.
That's pretty unfortunate, because the message of Who Not How is really important for getting goals-oriented people to shift their mindset from "if it's going to happen, I must learn how to do it" to "who is already equipped and eager to help me do this?" It's not like Sullivan & Hardy don't have a point worth making here.
The big, glaring omission, inclusion of which would have made this book truly valuable, is how to operate from this mindset when you don't already have resources. If you can't afford to pay a "who," and I don't mean in the "I don't want to devote budget to that" sense that Hardy addresses, but in the "my enterprise is a charitable nonprofit or passion project with no viable revenue model" sense that he doesn't address, how do you go about attracting "whos" to your cause? What can you offer them? And will the people willing to be a "who" on those terms be the right "who" or the wrong "who" for the job? And since you've never tried your own hand at the "how," how would you even assess the "who's" work?
A good concept underdeveloped does not a book make. It's pretty unfortunately obvious that this project is a cheaply-painted marketing lure for Sullivan and Hardy's respective brands. It could've been so much more.
Maybe in five years, with a new edition expanded by research and conceptual exploration, it will be.
March 16, 2022
DNF at 33%
I read this at the request of my boss. He asked me to read the first three chapters. Since I hate DNFing, I thought, Ooh! That'll be easy! I'll just read the whole thing. But, after actually starting the book, I had to concede his point and choose to stop after the three chapters. I did read the chapter takeaways at the end of the remaining chapters and skimmed the conclusion. But it was not really a book I enjoyed and not one I had the desire to finish.
The book is pretty repetitive. The point is made pretty clearly in the introduction and then after that it just hammers it in over and over. While I got the point pretty quickly, I did have to say I didn't fully agree with all of the examples given or the presentation of the points made. There were some things I just disagreed with that may have been the emphasis or the wording and some that felt illogical or contradictory. Either way, they didn't need a whole book to get the point across and personally, I would have presented it much differently in a few areas.
But overall, the book makes the point that you can't do everything yourself effectively. People have different skillsets and strengths and working as a team is going to get you a lot further than shouldering everything on your own. With that fundamental principle, I agree. And I appreciate the focus on learning to let others step in and help you toward your goals.
Not sure I would really recommend the read. I think there are better books out there that make the same (or at least, a very similar) point, but better. I'd definitely recommend anything by Patrick Lencioni and he writes a lot about teamwork.
I read this at the request of my boss. He asked me to read the first three chapters. Since I hate DNFing, I thought, Ooh! That'll be easy! I'll just read the whole thing. But, after actually starting the book, I had to concede his point and choose to stop after the three chapters. I did read the chapter takeaways at the end of the remaining chapters and skimmed the conclusion. But it was not really a book I enjoyed and not one I had the desire to finish.
The book is pretty repetitive. The point is made pretty clearly in the introduction and then after that it just hammers it in over and over. While I got the point pretty quickly, I did have to say I didn't fully agree with all of the examples given or the presentation of the points made. There were some things I just disagreed with that may have been the emphasis or the wording and some that felt illogical or contradictory. Either way, they didn't need a whole book to get the point across and personally, I would have presented it much differently in a few areas.
But overall, the book makes the point that you can't do everything yourself effectively. People have different skillsets and strengths and working as a team is going to get you a lot further than shouldering everything on your own. With that fundamental principle, I agree. And I appreciate the focus on learning to let others step in and help you toward your goals.
Not sure I would really recommend the read. I think there are better books out there that make the same (or at least, a very similar) point, but better. I'd definitely recommend anything by Patrick Lencioni and he writes a lot about teamwork.
November 29, 2020
This is a big idea packaged in a short book. Don't just think about how you can get something done, think about who you can partner with to get that done. This is the lid that keeps many people in a box, personally and professionally.
I took a star off for not being tactical on the best way to do this (e.g. how to define success clearly at the beginning, different options for paying them from salary to splitting the revenue, what to do when they don't deliver as promised, etc.).
I took a star off for not being tactical on the best way to do this (e.g. how to define success clearly at the beginning, different options for paying them from salary to splitting the revenue, what to do when they don't deliver as promised, etc.).
July 16, 2023
First half of the book was incredible. It unlocked parts of my mindset to be able to see realities in how goals are meant to be achieved and in how work is to be done. It’s a must read for anyone wanting to achieve, create, produce, change (which I think all people were created to do).
2nd half of book was a little repetitive and had less meat and taters.
Overall the book gave me new and upgraded goggles to see the world through… specifically to be able to understand how we can way more optimally achieve goals with more leverage, more teamwork, more service and more fulfillment.
2nd half of book was a little repetitive and had less meat and taters.
Overall the book gave me new and upgraded goggles to see the world through… specifically to be able to understand how we can way more optimally achieve goals with more leverage, more teamwork, more service and more fulfillment.
April 22, 2023
Honestly, one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I loved it and it was exactly the book I needed right now to tackle some problems
June 10, 2025
Find more Sam Gamgees in world.
Recommenced to me by someone whose world changed by reading it.
Recommenced to me by someone whose world changed by reading it.
May 31, 2022
Super book. More for my own sake. I am stuck up on the HOW mindset rather than the WHO mindset. This makes it weird when you have a scanner personality type.
The book is short but, like a TNT stick, quite potent. I could not read it without my mind spinning off on how I should be using every single idea in this book.
Every entrepreneur should read this one. Also do not forget to download the ancillary material mentioned in the book. The crucial step is putting things into practice.
The book is short but, like a TNT stick, quite potent. I could not read it without my mind spinning off on how I should be using every single idea in this book.
Every entrepreneur should read this one. Also do not forget to download the ancillary material mentioned in the book. The crucial step is putting things into practice.
May 12, 2021
This book has a simple but profound premise: the way to get things done is not through better strategies but by connecting with the right people. I read this book at the recommendation of my business partner and enjoyed it tremendously. Its clearest implications are for business, but it also has some interesting takeaways for life and relationships.
December 28, 2021
Who Not How Review
Indispensable to anyone looking to lead people, make impactful changes and create results.
This will book will make you a better colleague, person and foremost a better leader.
The main thread of the book might be a become a bit repetitive in some parts but certainly drives the point. Ease read nevertheless.
In my shelf it's a must.
Indispensable to anyone looking to lead people, make impactful changes and create results.
This will book will make you a better colleague, person and foremost a better leader.
The main thread of the book might be a become a bit repetitive in some parts but certainly drives the point. Ease read nevertheless.
In my shelf it's a must.
August 23, 2023
I love the theory and truly believe if you have the money for a “who” definitely invest. I’d love more insight on how this works when you are bootstrapping? I’m sure you can figure out ways to make it work but perhaps I missed that part…
June 4, 2024
It was good. 180 pages felt like more than it needed though. After the first chapter you got the gist of it. While each chapter did feel a little redundant, they did do a good job of making the anecdotes different enough to spark a new way of understanding the lesson. With that said, it still dragged on a little too long.
March 30, 2024
Okay very similar to 10x is easier than 2x but I also enjoyed this one. I feel like I just like the other more maybe because I read that one first so some of the ideas in this one were repeated from that book.
I really do love this concept and way of thinking and how even if you’re not running a business you can still apply this concept to honestly every area of your life! Not sure if I will re read this one anytime soon but probably will re read 10x is easier than 2x multiple times.
I really do love this concept and way of thinking and how even if you’re not running a business you can still apply this concept to honestly every area of your life! Not sure if I will re read this one anytime soon but probably will re read 10x is easier than 2x multiple times.
June 17, 2025
I really didn’t expect anything from this book, but for me this one was a good reminder how people around us can transform our lives. The book is packed with inspirational quotes and I could absolutely relate with them. Highly recommended even for non-entrepreneurs!
August 12, 2022
I liked the book and the thought process the book advocated. The main point carried all the way is to ensure we collaborate well to achieve what we want to. Always try to find some one who can help you with the how part of doing things. This doesn't mean we exploit others but the how part of what we want to achieve could align with the who part of some one.
In simple words, outsource the `how` :)
- To really succeed and reach a higher level of performance, you have to shift from a How-mentality to a Who-mentality. By focusing on who you work with rather than trying to do everything yourself, you'll find your levels of achievement will rise at the same time as you get dramatically more freedom. It's a win-win situation.
- The formula to achieve bigger goals
1. Benefit #1 — More Time. When you're no longer trying to figure out how to cram more tasks in to your day, you'll have more time to spend on what you're good at, and less time to spend on what you're marginal on. Who Not How can give you more time.
2. Benefit #2 — More Money. When you start enlisting other "Whos" to work towards your goals, you'll be less distracted, and spend less time on nonproductive activities. The end result is you'll have more to apply to what you're good at, and which makes you money.
3. Benefit #3 — Better Relationships. Once you start delegating, collaborating, and using more strategic partners, you'll often find mentors to work with who will help you get to the next level. You'll feel more confident because you'll know that you're working with more capable people. World-class collaborators can take you, your products, and your services to places you could never previously imagine.
4. Benefit #4 — Greater Sense of Purpose. When you're no longer bogged down doing stuff you're not that good at, you can apply more time, energy, and resources to making an impact as you see fit. You can imagine new goals and make them happen, because you'll have more confidence and bigger vision. You can pursue your dreams, not spin your wheels.
Key Takeaways
- To excel and reach a higher level of performance, replace asking "How can we do this?" with the question "Who can we get to do this for us?"
- Master the process of asking "Who Not How?" and you can 10X or 100X your results. Who Not How is the answer.
In simple words, outsource the `how` :)
- To really succeed and reach a higher level of performance, you have to shift from a How-mentality to a Who-mentality. By focusing on who you work with rather than trying to do everything yourself, you'll find your levels of achievement will rise at the same time as you get dramatically more freedom. It's a win-win situation.
- The formula to achieve bigger goals
1. Benefit #1 — More Time. When you're no longer trying to figure out how to cram more tasks in to your day, you'll have more time to spend on what you're good at, and less time to spend on what you're marginal on. Who Not How can give you more time.
2. Benefit #2 — More Money. When you start enlisting other "Whos" to work towards your goals, you'll be less distracted, and spend less time on nonproductive activities. The end result is you'll have more to apply to what you're good at, and which makes you money.
3. Benefit #3 — Better Relationships. Once you start delegating, collaborating, and using more strategic partners, you'll often find mentors to work with who will help you get to the next level. You'll feel more confident because you'll know that you're working with more capable people. World-class collaborators can take you, your products, and your services to places you could never previously imagine.
4. Benefit #4 — Greater Sense of Purpose. When you're no longer bogged down doing stuff you're not that good at, you can apply more time, energy, and resources to making an impact as you see fit. You can imagine new goals and make them happen, because you'll have more confidence and bigger vision. You can pursue your dreams, not spin your wheels.
Key Takeaways
- To excel and reach a higher level of performance, replace asking "How can we do this?" with the question "Who can we get to do this for us?"
- Master the process of asking "Who Not How?" and you can 10X or 100X your results. Who Not How is the answer.
January 2, 2022
I buy into the idea, I really do. Ever since I read "Good to Great" years ago, I’ve been sold on the idea of getting the right people onboard. But finding the right Who isn’t easy. I picked up this book hoping to get more insights. But I was really disappointed.
To be fair, if you're still doing everything yourself, feeling overwhelmed but not willing to let go or delegate, then then this book may be really right for you.
But if you're already sold on the idea and are looking for practical tips, this book is pretty thin on that front. It goes on and on about why it’s better to find people who can do something bigger and better than you (ok, I got that the first time). But it doesn’t quite address the how. There are 4 parts in this book (freedom of time, freedom of money, freedom of relationships, and freedom of purpose). But the same points are repeated over and over in all the sections so they sound similar after a while.
It does highlight SOME nuances behind the approach, e.g. you must get clear on your vision first, you can't just dump your work/responsibilities on others etc. There are also SOME application tips and a few detailed examples that give a glimpse into how the process could actually but much of it is padding and fluff.
And most of the psychological frameworks (including Dr. David Logan’s work on different levels of cultures) feel like they got thrown in just to add some "meat" to to the book, but they were often too brief to be useful, and not properly integrated with the rest of the content.
And the story of Michael Jordan was just lame? I don't see how that was a compelling opening story to illustrate Who not How at work.
The biggest thing I got out of this book was this: The right Who is someone who (i) loves to do what you can’t or don’t want to do, and (ii) will achieve their goals by achieving yours. Even this insight had to be painfully gleaned as it was hidden throughout the book in tons of long sentences & fancy words.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
To be fair, if you're still doing everything yourself, feeling overwhelmed but not willing to let go or delegate, then then this book may be really right for you.
But if you're already sold on the idea and are looking for practical tips, this book is pretty thin on that front. It goes on and on about why it’s better to find people who can do something bigger and better than you (ok, I got that the first time). But it doesn’t quite address the how. There are 4 parts in this book (freedom of time, freedom of money, freedom of relationships, and freedom of purpose). But the same points are repeated over and over in all the sections so they sound similar after a while.
It does highlight SOME nuances behind the approach, e.g. you must get clear on your vision first, you can't just dump your work/responsibilities on others etc. There are also SOME application tips and a few detailed examples that give a glimpse into how the process could actually but much of it is padding and fluff.
And most of the psychological frameworks (including Dr. David Logan’s work on different levels of cultures) feel like they got thrown in just to add some "meat" to to the book, but they were often too brief to be useful, and not properly integrated with the rest of the content.
And the story of Michael Jordan was just lame? I don't see how that was a compelling opening story to illustrate Who not How at work.
The biggest thing I got out of this book was this: The right Who is someone who (i) loves to do what you can’t or don’t want to do, and (ii) will achieve their goals by achieving yours. Even this insight had to be painfully gleaned as it was hidden throughout the book in tons of long sentences & fancy words.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
January 15, 2023
Who not How, by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy – A coach way of life described by a psychologists with many stories of people understanding the principle of Who not How. Interesting topics as how procrastination brings guilt and depression but it’s a wisdom too if you can modify it to understanding the wisdom is your hands of your need to look for who can help. “Freedom of Purpose is the sense of vision and purpose you have for your life” Viktor Frankl.
September 15, 2024
I wouldn’t really recommend this book honestly. It’s a lot of generalities that come down to : Not being afraid to delegate and finding the best people for the job to help you. Sure it helps to understand any project can be doable, you just have to find the right person, and that impacts quality, growth of your business, personal freedom etc. And that’s massive! It’s just way too stretched out and you’re better off reading a good summary of the book.
September 15, 2021
I would like more info on how to implement/achieve “who not how” and less info why this is so important. The entire book was describing the benefits of this concept. But it would be enough to talk about it in the introduction and then help with more tactics/strategies on how to do it, as a startup, as an established company.
December 6, 2021
Bottom line: ask for help
If you are someone who thinks you are better off doing everything yourself, this book may cause you to re-think that belief. This book encourages you to stop focusing on How you're going to do something and instead tap into your network and see Who can help you.
If you are someone who thinks you are better off doing everything yourself, this book may cause you to re-think that belief. This book encourages you to stop focusing on How you're going to do something and instead tap into your network and see Who can help you.
March 10, 2022
Incredibly repetitive. You can honestly read the title and first chapter and glean the same amount of information as you could by reading the entire book. Okay-ish advice, just very repetitive.
March 31, 2022
Very good content despite the Tucker Max affiliation and references to Napoleon Hill.
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