In his previous book, Start with Why, Simon explained that for an organization to be successful, its leaders need to understand the true purpose of their organization—the WHY. In Leaders Eat Last, Simon takes us to the next level of understanding why some organizations do better than others by detailing all elements of the leadership challenge.
Why do we trust the people we trust? And why should they trust us? I struggled with these questions. We know trust is important in our personal lives and at work, but what exactly is trust? I met people in the military who trusted each other with their lives—I wanted to have that feeling in the place I worked too. Leaders Eat Last was my journey to understand what trust is at a biological and anthropological level, and what I learned completely surprised me.
In his bestselling sophomore book, Leaders Eat Last, Simon takes us to the next level of understanding why some organizations do better than others by detailing all elements of the leadership challenge. For a company to be successful, its leaders need to understand the true purpose of their organization, and use that purpose as a northstar not only in how they conduct themselves as a business, but also in how they care for those in their charge.
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Leaders Eat Last explains where we’ve gone wrong in how we lead others and helps leaders unlearn the mistakes of the past in order to make a positive change in today’s world of business. Simon goes in depth as to why there is a human need for safety, why we’ve become so dangerously out of balance, and how you can become a true leader that makes a difference.
In the book, Simon references a concept called servant leadership. This is the notion that our anthropological neurochemistry makes it natural for us to protect each other and show empathy, rather than just boss others around because of our social status. Simon reframes several concepts and practices of this theory of servant leadership through numerous impactful examples from recent history.
Simon uses the phrase “leaders eat last” in reference to a common practice in the military. This practice would be that the highest ranking officers would be the last to fix their plate at mealtime in order to ensure the people in their command were fed and cared for. As stated in the book, “Leaders are the ones willing to look out for those to the left of them and those to the right of them. Leaders are the ones who are willing to give up something of their own for us. Their time, their energy, their money, maybe even the food off their plate. When it matters, leaders choose to eat last.”
Leaders Eat Last explores the influence that neurochemicals have on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and examines the disconnect between how our bodies were designed to function and how they function today. Ultimately, this book is about how we can become the true leaders who are needed to direct us to the path that’s better for everyone.
Through his experience learning from the military, Simon believes that leadership is a choice, not a rank. Anyone in an organization can be a leader. It’s choosing to look out for the person on your left and the person on your right.
The Circle of Safety is the concept that, since the dawn of civilization, we have needed the feeling of safety and security in order to survive. For most of us, this means that we depend on a network of people that we trust and rely on. This network of people forms our Circle of Safety.
Of the five chemicals Simon discusses in the book, there are two that make all the difference when it comes to a healthy leadership style: serotonin and oxytocin. Serotonin and oxytocin are considered “selfless chemicals” because you can’t release them alone (the way you can with endorphins or dopamine). The release of these chemicals is often contagious, meaning that not only are you releasing these chemicals, but those impacted by you releasing them also benefit and are likely to produce more serotonin and oxytocin.
Why do we trust the people we trust? And why should they trust us? Simon struggled with these questions. He met people in the military who trusted each other with their lives—he wanted to have that feeling in the place he worked too. Leaders Eat Last was his journey to understand what trust is at a biological and anthropological level, and what he learned completely surprised him.
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Unleash Your Infinite Mindset
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For teams of 20+ contact us
The Art of Creating Fiercely Loyal Customers
Buy Unleash Your Infinite Mindset and The Art of Building Fiercely Loyal Customers together for only $1,198.
We fully agree, so we like to reward curiosity.
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A spark is something quite small and, by itself, not very powerful. But a spark has the ability to ignite. An idea is like a spark; alone it is just a set of words, but it too can ignite. A great idea can inspire others to dream bigger. Let us all work together to ignite something greater than ourselves.
Let us all be a Spark of Optimism.
