Leaders Eat Last

Building a great company and a great team takes more than love and data. In Leaders Eat Last, I learned the science behind why we join teams, why we leave a team, and how to build a team where people want to stay.

It turns out that being a part of a team is in our DNA. Literally. We have survived as a species by working together, and our brains produce pleasure chemicals when we are standing shoulder to shoulder with a co-worker.

But that’s not what makes this book great. Simon Sinek references both large companies and the military… show more.

Veterans understand the military practice of “officers eat last”.

While some of the concepts in this book will match up with a military mindset of being other-focused and seeking to serve not pursue recognition (“service before self”), in this book, Sinek shows you how to translate that concept into your professional career and bring a service mindset into the workplace. 

Simon Sinek has a way of sharing ideas, principles, and more in a personal and powerful manner.

This book will pull you in and not only help you think about being a better leader, but also a better person.  His examples and language makes everything that more meaningful and come to life. Ultimately, you can use this book to create the environment you want for your workplace. 

There are many excellent general management books about the value of empowered teams, but this book by Simon Sinek is one of my favorites. In this book, he also references and puts into context many of the books and articles that have been published on the topic of empowerment, so it’s a good general overview of the topic, as well as an inspiring read.