Book Reflection: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
written by dr. Linda Szanto
When the question is no longer “how?” — but “who?”
It’s not an exaggeration to say this book found me exactly when I needed it. As our company continues to grow, I’ve been gradually redefining what my role as a founder and leader really means. Who Not How came into my life at a moment when I was finally ready to let go of the mindset that I have to solve and learn everything on my own — and embrace a more collaborative way forward.
Books have always been my mentors
From the earliest days of building a business, books have been my primary source of knowledge and guidance. I didn’t grow up in an entrepreneurial family. Quite the opposite, actually. In my family, every kind of profession was respected — medicine, education, manual work, academia — but entrepreneurship wasn’t among them. It simply didn’t exist as a role model, or even as a language.
Books gave me the blueprint I couldn’t find elsewhere. Even today, while I regularly attend trainings, mastermind groups, and learn from the incredible experience of my colleagues, books remain an invaluable source of knowledge. They give me direct access to a mindset and entrepreneurial culture I wasn’t born into — but have grown to feel deeply connected to.
From parentified child to self-reliant founder
Psychologist Éva Bibók helped me understand that I was a parentified child — I became independent early, took responsibility quickly, and built self-reliance into the core of my personality. It served me well for a long time. I’m decisive, quick to act, and resourceful. But as a founder and leader, that mindset slowly turned into a ceiling.
At some point, the real question is no longer “How can I fix this?”
It becomes: “Who can help me make this great?”
What Who Not How gave me
This book, written by Dan Sullivan (founder of Strategic Coach) and co-authored by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, encourages a powerful shift: stop asking how to achieve your goals — and start asking who can help you get there.
It’s not about doing less. It’s about doing what only you can do, and letting others contribute.
For me, it was both a permission slip and a wake-up call. Letting go of the need to have all the answers doesn’t make you less capable — it makes you a stronger, more effective leader.
The book explains that every time we ask “how?”, we’re inadvertently putting ourselves into a time trap — because every “how” takes time to learn and execute. But every “who” unlocks immediate momentum. You’re not just outsourcing effort — you’re investing in expertise, speed, and clarity.
This is more than a productivity insight. It is a reframing of how to operate.
Have you read this book? Or is there a book that changed the way you lead, build, or think?
