Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t

Simon Sinek opens the book by recounting how Captain Mike “Johnny Bravo” Drowley risked his own life during a dangerous mission in Afghanistan, less than a year after 9/11. Drowley’s bravery was motivated by empathy, by the idea that the others involved in the mission would do the same for him. Sinek explains that while this story involves much higher stakes than most of us experience in the workplace, the key takeaway lies in military culture. Particularly, how those in the military come to trust each other at such a foundational level—and if aspects of this model can be replicated in companies and organizations.

Sinek shares his first example of positive corporate leadership: Bob Chapman, former CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a collection of companies that operates mostly in the manufacturing sphere. With every company Chapman acquired through Barry-Wehmiller, he sought to learn, asking if employees felt trusted and empowered, or if they were constantly suspected of wrongdoing and micromanaged to the point of exhaustion. If the company culture proved guilty of the latter, Chapman would make decisions to boost morale, which in turn built trust among employees and often improved the company’s overall performance. Keeping internal rivalries (and their potential to cause collapse) in mind, Chapman placed the employees’ qualitative experiences above short-term results. He believes company leaders should act as guardians, caring for their employees as parents would their children—as in, avoiding internal strife whenever possible.

Sinek argues that when employees are constantly in competition with each other, trust succumbs to stress and worry—the solution being what he calls a “Circle of Safety.” When a Circle of Safety becomes an established part of an organization’s culture, employees are able to use their voices to solve problems and express concerns without fear of retaliation. Should a company have a strong Circle, the work itself can become an enjoyable experience.