The Hidden Story Keys Of Simon Sinek's Greatest Talk
a top 10 ted talk story structure
By Devin D. Marks | Published Oct. 25, 2022
If you recall, Simon Sinek’s uber-popular TEDx Talk (How great leaders inspire action) applied the "Golden Circle" to several historic problems.
He called his How-What-Why takeaway “inside-out communication." Fair enough. But what worked so powerfully in his unpacking of the principle wasn't the reversal of his formula to Why-What-How.
The powerful tool he used to spread his message was...
Story.
Put another way, his talk proves out that story is the most potent mechanism for inside-out communication.
But he employed a particular story form in the talk — only once.
Yes, he unpacked the Golden Circle model via four examples: Apple Computers, The Wright Brothers, TiVo, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Sadly though, too many consider those four stories. But a critical story savvy eye spies a revealing pattern. Three of those are merely examples or illustrations. Only one is designed as a classic story. And that story is shaped to be particularly memorable.
Take a guess which one we most readily recall?
In fact, take a moment... Watch the talk here.
Hint: The share-worthy stories aren't the examples provided by Apple, TiVo, or MLK.
Students of TED have found, far and away, the Golden Circle story most readily recalled is the aviation battle of The Wright Brothers.
The word count alone points to Simon's favoritism:
(345 words) MLK
(265 words) Apple
(275 words) TiVo, Inc.
(460 words) Wright Bros.
What's more, a quick read (or listen) of the other three reveals that they are industry examples. Yes, MLK was a person but, his talk is referenced to unpack a concept. Simon even introduces the MLK speech at the 15-minute mark as "a successful example of the law of diffusion of innovation."
But Simon structured his special 460-word aviation tale as something more than an illustration — he designed it as a Challenge-Shaped Story.
In that, I mean that the Wright Brothers story follows a three-act structure:
1. Set-up (beginning).
2. Problem (middle).
3. Resolution (end).
The race to controlled, powered, manned flight enjoys all three. Whereas the others (Apple, TiVo, MLK) fail to offer a problem-focused structure. And thus, they are less memorable and shareable.
The Challenge-Shaped Story is what makes that How-What-Why formula stay with audiences — it is what they resonate with.
That's classic TOP 10 TED TALK stuff. TEDsters know an audience’s eyes glaze over (especially online) whenever a story fails to pose a challenge to overcome.
Boy meets girl; marries girl; lives happily ever after... That’s a snore. But what if she broke off the engagement because of a dramatic turn of events. And yet, he slew the dragon, scaled the wall, and won her heart!
There is a story worth paying attention to — and spreading.
Challenge-Shaped Stories accomplish this goal. And in the case of the underdog Wright Brothers who were under-funded, under-educated, under-publicized, and more than a little banged up... They represent an unlikely heroic duo who we want to root for. (And do.)
There is a falling-rising shape to their airborne travel tale — an arc. Examples and illustrations don't accomplish that. Those vehicles of explanation fall short. They lack shape; they are flat.
But behold, the potent appeal of The Challenge-Shaped Story!
There's where we find the share-worthy secret of Simon Sinek's Golden Circle TED Talk.
DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of TED, TEDx, and short-talk speakers — including Harvard’s Dr. Robert Waldinger for his all-time Top 10 TEDx Talk. The result: 100s of millions of views for clients. He helps niche experts, authors, and leaders spread world-changing ideas.
You can reach Devin at 617.804.6020, or DM him here. His newsletters are here.
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