Book Review | Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek, best known for Start With Why, follows up by arguing that great organisations are built on one thing: people feeling safe. The title comes from a US Marine Corps tradition: officers eat after their troops. That’s pretty much the whole book in one image. Sinek’s argument is that leadership isn’t about rank or perks; it’s about looking after your people first.

He calls this the “Circle of Safety”. If people trust that their boss has their back, they stop looking over their shoulders and get on with the actual work. Drawing on brain chemistry, Sinek explains that dopamine rewards quick wins, while oxytocin and serotonin build real trust.

While the book can be repetitive, it offers insightful stories and practical examples for anyone heading down the leadership route.

My three favourite quotes from the book:

• Job stress and health - the lower someone’s rank in the organisational hierarchy, the greater their risk of stress related health problems, not the other way around.

• Serotonin is responsible for the pride we feel when those we care for achieve great things or when we make proud the people who take care of us. Serotonin helps to ensure we look out for those who follow us and do right by those who lead us.

• Oxytocin keeps us healthy. It opens our minds. It biologically makes us better problem solvers. Without oxytocin, we would only ever make short term progress. Leaps of greatness require the combined problem solving ability of people who trust each other.

‍Link to Book

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