As one of the most popular TED speakers in history, Simon Sinek knows a thing or two about effective leadership. In his book and TED talk Leaders Eat Last – his follow-on from Start With Why – he tells us how great leadership isn’t all about being in charge. It’s about empowering others to achieve things they didn’t believe were possible.
The name of his book comes from a conversation Sinek had with a Marine Corp General. When he asked him what makes the Marines so amazing, the General told him that officers eat last. As Sinek says,
‘What he meant is that if you go to any Marine Corp Chow Hall anywhere in the world you will see the Marines lined up in rank order. The most senior person at the back of the line and the most junior person eats first. No one tells them they have to do it and it’s not in any rule book. It’s because of the way they view the responsibility of leadership. We think leadership is about rank and power, they think of leadership as the responsibility for other human beings. That leadership and rank may not go together. So it manifests in this remarkable way.’
Sinek’s book and TED talk offer powerful insights into how we can become strong leaders who trust in, empower and look out for our teams. We’ve distilled his 6 most compelling lessons in this poster. Feel free to print it out as a daily reminder of how to lead teams that pull together.
Want to check out Simon’s full TED talk? Watch it here.
Many of our leadership behaviours are unconscious and it can be hard to know where to start improving. We can help with a complimentary evaluation that identifies the factors holding you back and what you can do to reach your potential.
