Summary: Leaders eat last

• Who can read this book

This book is for everyone who leads or wanted to become a good leader. This concept can be applied to everywhere like in business organisation, society or even in family. Simon says that leadership is a choice, it is not a rank.

• Safe and happy working environment

Simon says that, natural reaction of trustful and co-operative working environment is employee feels safe among their own tribe. According to him creating the safe and happy working environment is indeed quality of leaders.

Further he speaks about circle of safety:

He explains as, if the internal working environment is loyal, trustful and co-operative then any organisation can tackle the external challenges.

• Directs the behavior of people

He explains as, any employee of the organisation don’t need to be feel isolated due to threats of layoffs and bad culture. If this happen then the main focus of the employee switches into self preservation. And this leads to a bad team work which will cost the organisation.

Hence it is a great responsibility of leaders to direct the behavior of people towards the goal. Leader should develop target and after accomplishing it, he should provide bonus and  incentives to employees. Leaders should not take the credibility rather he should valued employees work. According to Simon this way people will feel safe and interested to work towards the goal of the organisation.

• Biological approach to understand the qualities of leader

1. ENDORPHINS: It is a chemical that reduces the perception of pain. By this Simon wants to explain that, leaders should build a safe working environment. By doing this Endorphin chemical in the brain react and reduces the perception of pain among the employees.
2. DOPAMINE: It is a chemical that makes you feel good when you accomplish a goal. According to Simon, leader should not take the credibility on completing a specific target rather leader should value employees work.  So this way leader should biologically create the interest in the employee towards the goal of the organisation.
3. SEROTONIN: This is the chemical that induces the feeling of status and pride. Simon explains this as, leader should always point out the employee of their good job and give rewards in public. By doing this that particular employee will feel good and pride. This is one of the best ways of creating interest among employees.
4. OXYTOCIN: It is chemical that makes you generosity and trustful. Simon further explains as, there should be good human bonding between the leader and employees. And it is a responsibility of the leader to create it by interaction and communication towards employees. So leader is biologically preparing the employee to work towards the goal of the organisation.

• Big C: Cortisol

Simon explains this as, when the internal working environment is not safe, it will create tension, stress and anxiety among the employee. Biologically this is what Cortisol do. It also stop the Oxytocin and makes individual unhappy. According to him leaders should provide space for employee to take free decisions without expecting the accuracy of the result. This makes employee innovative and makes him feel happy.

• The courageous leader

Leadership is about sacrifice, in terms of comfort, profit, time and energy. Leader should indeed be the first to rush towards the danger and protect the rest of the group. Simon explains this as, if result of the targeted goal goes negative then leader should take the whole responsibility. And if result is positive then leader should give the credibility to their employees. By doing this employees will feel safe and in return they will be ready to give their blood and sweat to fulfil their leader’s vision. According to Simon, “leadership is a choice, it’s not a rank.”

• Baby Boomer: The cause of isolation

Baby Boomer is term used to describe a person who was born between the year 1946 and 1964. According to the Author, the generation before the Baby Boomer was a great generation. People at that time were had cognitive human bonding and were of helping nature type. Baby Boomers instead were like isolated one. They only care about themselves. Simon says that, this is what happening in the offices nowadays. The same isolated human behavior type can be seen in the offices. Ability of human behavior and conduct allowed us to built technologically advanced world. And it’s ironic though that this same technology is making it harder for us to co-operate and making us to feel isolated and unhappy.

• Abstraction leads to destruction

According to the Author, the target given by the leader to employees should be clearly visible. Every employee should understand the specific goal and output. Human are visual animal and we pursue thing we see. So it is the responsibility of leader to create vision about the target otherwise it may cost to the organisation.

• How to manage the Abstraction?

1. Keep it Real-Bring people together: Human interaction is very much important. So leader should personally meet and talk to the employees regarding the goals rather communicating through email.
2. Keep it Manageable: Leader should not create group of more than 150 people otherwise it may leads to bad co-ordination which will cost to the organisation.
3. Meet people you help: Simon says that, everyone should always meet the people we helped. This things will you to do things better.
4. Give them Time, not just Money: Again it is about human interaction. Simon says if you give time, it is more energetic compared to just giving money.
5. Be patient – 7 days and 7 years: Simon Sinek says to built trust it will take more than 7 days and less than 7 years.

• Destructive Abundance

Author says that many organisation faces imbalance between the human behavioral conduct and profit of the organisation. Nowadays leader gives more priorities to profit over the employees who are responsible for the completion of target. Simon calls this as, “Destructive Abundance”. Business is not about terms and contracts. It is about the pursuit to find the circle of safety. Business is looking for human relationship to find people around whom you can feel safe.

• Leadership lesson

1. Culture leads the company: Good culture and safe working environment is responsible for the success of the company.
2. Maintaining the culture: It is the responsibility of leader to maintain the culture of the organisation. Simon says it is like leader to culture and culture to company.
3. Integrity matters: Leaders should be honest and should have strong moral principle.
4. Friends also matter: Leader should meet employee outside the company and treat them as friend.
5. Lead the people not the numbers: Leader should give more priorities to people over profit and target of the organisation.