Simon Sinek is an optimist, teacher, writer, and worldwide public speaker. His first four books --Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and Find Your Why -- have been national and international bestsellers. His first TED talk, based on Start With Why, is the third most-viewed TED video of all time. Learn more about his work and how you can inspire those around you at StartWithWhy.com.

Chapter 1

Protection from Above

A thick layer of clouds blocked out any light. There were no stars and there was no moon. Just black. The team slowly made its way through the valley, the rocky terrain making it impossible to go any faster than a snail's pace. Worse, they knew they were being watched. Every one of them was on edge.

A year hadn't yet passed since the attacks of September 11. The Taliban government had only recently fallen after taking a pounding from U.S. forces for their refusal to turn over the Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. There were a lot of Special Operations Forces in the area performing missions that, to this day, are still classified. This was one of those teams and this was one of those missions.

All we know is that the team of twenty-two men was operating deep inside enemy territory and had recently captured what the government calls a "high-value target." They were now working their way through a deep valley in a mountainous part of Afghanistan, escorting their high-value target to a safe house.