Who Not How
The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
byBenjamin P. Hardy, Dan Sullivan
Book Edition Details
Summary
"Who Not How (2020) introduces a new way of thinking about entrepreneurship, goal setting, and collaboration developed by business coach Dan Sullivan. It emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks by asking "Who can do this for me?" rather than "How can I do this?", enabling individuals to gain more free time, increase income, and develop valuable professional relationships."
Introduction
Have you ever found yourself staring at a mountain of tasks, wondering how you'll possibly accomplish everything on your plate? Perhaps you've watched other successful people and wondered how they seem to effortlessly achieve more while working less. The secret lies not in learning how to do everything yourself, but in understanding a fundamental shift in thinking that transforms ordinary entrepreneurs into extraordinary leaders. This revolutionary approach challenges everything we've been taught about achievement and success. Instead of asking "How can I do this?" the most successful people ask an entirely different question: "Who can help me achieve this?" This simple shift in perspective doesn't just change your productivity—it transforms your entire relationship with time, money, relationships, and purpose. When you master this principle, you'll discover that your potential isn't limited by your personal capabilities, but expanded through the incredible talents and resources of others.
Transform Your Mindset: From How to Who
The transformation begins with understanding that your biggest limitation isn't lack of ability—it's your approach to challenges. When most people encounter a goal or obstacle, they immediately ask themselves "How do I solve this?" This question, while seemingly logical, actually creates a mental prison that keeps you trapped in mediocrity. Consider Richie Norton, who at sixteen wanted to make money and initially thought his only option was getting a minimum-wage job. His father, an entrepreneur, suggested a different approach: buying irregularly shaped watermelons that farms couldn't sell and reselling them to neighbors before the Fourth of July. Instead of trading his entire summer for minimum wage, Richie made more money in a few hours than he would have earned all season. This experience taught him never to sell his time—a principle that has guided his entire entrepreneurial journey. The watermelon story illustrates a crucial distinction: "How" thinking is linear and slow, requiring you to personally learn, execute, and manage every aspect of a task. "Who" thinking is exponential and immediate, giving you instant access to knowledge, capabilities, and resources you don't currently possess. When Richie's father became his "Who," he gained access to entrepreneurial thinking and creative solutions that would have taken years to develop on his own. To make this shift, start by catching yourself whenever you ask "How?" Instead, pause and reframe the question to "Who can help me with this?" This isn't about being lazy or avoiding work—it's about being strategic with your most valuable resource: your time and attention. Begin practicing this mental switch with small tasks and gradually work up to larger challenges. The goal is to train your brain to seek collaboration and support rather than defaulting to doing everything yourself. Remember that asking for help isn't a sign of weakness—it's a sign of wisdom. Every successful person throughout history has achieved their greatest accomplishments through the support and expertise of others. Your job is to become comfortable with this interdependence and start building relationships that expand your capabilities exponentially.
Build Your Dream Team: Finding the Right Whos
Building an effective team starts with radical clarity about what you want to achieve. Most people struggle to find the right help because they haven't clearly defined their vision or communicated their needs effectively. The most successful leaders use a simple but powerful tool called the Impact Filter—a one-page document that clarifies the project, its importance, ideal outcomes, and success criteria. Take Paul Heiss, whose manufacturing company faced a crisis when tariffs made shipping from China prohibitively expensive. Instead of asking "How do we move manufacturing to India?" he asked "Who can help us establish operations in India?" Using Impact Filters, he quickly identified the need for a country manager, location expert, and supplier specialist. Within five months, his company was operational in India, generating over twenty million dollars in additional revenue within eighteen months. The transformation happened because Heiss trusted his "Whos" to handle their expertise while he focused on leadership and vision. He didn't micromanage the process or insist on knowing every detail. Instead, he provided clear success criteria and let each expert execute their role using their specialized knowledge and experience. This approach not only delivered faster results but also produced outcomes superior to anything he could have achieved alone. To build your dream team, start by creating Impact Filters for your most pressing challenges. Be specific about what success looks like, why the project matters, and what resources or expertise you need. Then actively seek people who are excited about your vision and have the capabilities to execute it. Look for individuals who see working with you as an opportunity to grow and contribute to something meaningful. Don't wait until you have the "perfect" team to start. Begin with one key hire or collaboration that addresses your biggest bottleneck. As you experience the power of having the right person in the right role, you'll gain confidence to continue expanding your team and delegating more responsibilities.
Create Transformational Partnerships That Scale
True partnerships go beyond simple transactions—they're transformational relationships where all parties grow and benefit exponentially. The most powerful collaborations happen when you focus on creating value for others while building genuine connections based on mutual respect and shared vision. Joe Polish, founder of Genius Network, demonstrates this approach perfectly in his relationship with Richard Branson. Instead of approaching Branson with requests or pitches, Polish first made a meaningful contribution to Branson's Virgin Unite charity and shared valuable marketing insights. This value-first approach led to a lasting relationship where Branson has spoken at Polish's events and Polish has become Virgin Unite's largest single fundraiser, raising millions for the organization. The key to transformational partnerships is asking "What's in it for them?" rather than "What's in it for me?" This mindset shift attracts higher-quality collaborators and creates sustainable relationships built on abundance rather than scarcity. When you consistently provide value and support others' success, you naturally attract people who want to reciprocate and collaborate with you on bigger projects. To create transformational partnerships, start by doing your homework on potential collaborators. Understand their goals, challenges, and what they value most. Then look for ways to contribute meaningfully to their success before asking for anything in return. This might involve making introductions, sharing resources, or providing insights from your expertise. Maintain these relationships through consistent gratitude and continued value creation. Send thank-you notes, acknowledge others' contributions publicly, and look for ongoing ways to support their success. Remember that the strongest partnerships develop over time through repeated positive interactions and mutual support.
Expand Your Vision Through Collaboration
When you bring the right people into your goals, something magical happens—your vision expands far beyond what you initially imagined. Collaboration doesn't just help you achieve your current goals more efficiently; it transforms those goals into something bigger and more impactful than you could have conceived alone. Consider Karen Nance, who spent years struggling to write her grandmother's biography while managing her demanding legal career. When she discovered that history professor Dr. Ethelene Whitmire was writing a similar biography, Karen's first instinct was competition—she needed to race to publication. However, a simple reframe from "How do I beat her?" to "Who can help me create the best possible book?" led to an obvious solution: collaboration. By partnering with Dr. Whitmire, Karen not only ensured her grandmother's story would be professionally researched and written, but also gained access to academic networks and publishing resources she couldn't have reached alone. This transformation from competition to collaboration illustrates a crucial principle: your biggest obstacles often contain your greatest opportunities. The person or situation you initially see as competition might actually be the perfect collaborator to help you achieve something far greater than your original vision. Karen's biography project evolved from a personal struggle into a professional historical work with significantly broader reach and impact. The expansion happens because each collaborator brings unique perspectives, resources, and capabilities that compound exponentially when combined. Like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, whose friendship and mutual encouragement led to literary works that neither could have created alone, your collaborations will push you to think bigger and achieve more than you thought possible. To expand your vision through collaboration, regularly evaluate your goals and ask yourself who else might share similar objectives or complementary skills. Look for people who are working on related projects or serving similar audiences. Instead of seeing them as competitors, explore how you might combine efforts to create something more significant and impactful for everyone involved.
Summary
The journey from "How" to "Who" represents more than a productivity strategy—it's a fundamental transformation in how you approach life and success. As Dan Sullivan reminds us, "Your eyes only see and your ears only hear what your brain is looking for." When you start looking for Whos instead of Hows, you'll discover an abundant world of talented people eager to collaborate, support, and help you achieve extraordinary results. This shift creates freedom in four essential areas: time, money, relationships, and purpose. By focusing on what only you can do while finding Whos for everything else, you'll experience the profound satisfaction of making your greatest contribution while building meaningful relationships that enrich every aspect of your life. The most successful people understand that achievement is never a solo journey—it's always a collaborative effort that expands everyone involved. Start today by identifying one area where you've been asking "How?" and reframe it to "Who can help me with this?" Take action on finding that person, create value for them, and begin building the transformational relationships that will define your future success.
By Benjamin P. Hardy
