Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek advocates a leadership style that prioritizes serving others over shareholder goals or personal interests. Today's leadership trends prioritize profits and executive bonuses over creating a healthy employee environment. Leaders who regard their employees as a family can boost job satisfaction and engagement, which reduces stress and increases productivity because employees feel safe. For example, in the United States Marine Corps, the lowest-ranking soldiers eat first, and the leaders eat last to ensure everyone can eat and feel cared for. [1]
The most effective leaders establish a Circle of Safety that encompasses the entire organization and that employees can extend to their customers. Poor leaders limit the Circle of Safety to their closest supporters, increasing stress for those outside the circle who may believe their jobs are in jeopardy. Good leaders avoid abstracting the people who should be inside the Circle of Safety into performance statistics. They accomplish this by prioritizing fundamental interactions that require investments of time and energy, assisting employees in understanding the impact of their work, and preserving small communities where everyone knows one another. The evolutionary advantage of cooperating with leaders who receive more resources in exchange for their direction is the basis of hierarchy in human societies.
Hormones in the human body regulate interactions and goal-seeking on a biological level. Dopamine and endorphins promote personal achievement and pain tolerance, whereas serotonin fosters oxytocin feelings of pride and affection in others. A healthy work environment encourages the balance of these hormones, but people can become addicted to the short-term high provided by selfish hormones like cortisol. Social media can trigger this type of addiction, which inhibits selfless behavior. Corporate culture must encourage idea-sharing, learning from mistakes, integrity, and self-reflection in leaders.
Leaders who have established a strong Circle of Safety for all their employees can delegate authority for decisions and rule-bending to employees with the most information about those decisions.
Changes in leadership philosophy have resulted from the transfer of leadership positions from World War II generation members who prioritized service to Baby Boomers who were taught to be more self-interested. The consequences have changed political interactions in the United States and the national economy. The new generation of leaders may be less selfish but likely less selfless than those who lived through World War II.
As a cadet of the Philippine National Police Academy, I know this type of leadership is a good leadership practice. Observing this within the academy is beneficial to avoid unpleasant feelings in different classes at the Academy.
During my four years at the Academy, I've seen this leadership in many cadets, including our squad mates. They rigorously teach us lessons, but at the end of the day, they always care about our welfare and meet our needs as cadets. They will make us exercise until we are exhausted, and then they will talk to us and encourage us to improve our physique. When they notice that we are low morale, they always give us food and help us with our problems in academics and our tactics subjects. We have different approaches as cadets, but as developing leaders, I learned to serve my underclassmen to improve my leadership style. Teaching them how to be snappy cadets and inspiring them is more valuable than any other gift they could receive. I always wanted them to be good leaders and lead the Cadet Corps excellently. When they become the ruling class, I am confident that my squad mates will become great leaders that will serve their underclassmen by imparting them knowledge and leading them to become a good leaders someday.
-CDTBIGS45
[1] Summary of Leaders Eat Last: by Simon Sinek | Includes Analysis. (n.d.). Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/book/506924775/Summary-of-Leaders-Eat-Last-by-Simon-Sinek-Includes-Analysis
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