Simon Sinek: Selfless Leaders and the Meaning of Why

This is a follow-up to Simon Sinek: Storytelling, selfless leaders and the meaning of Why by Paul Furiga.

In our third Medium post, we would like to address a frequent problem in the business world: the singular focus on profits, while neglecting the true meaning of leadership.

Organizations must meet certain goals to stay relevant. But even leaders of successful organizations fail to make necessary sacrifices for their employees.

Author Simon Sinek says that “leaders eat last” — and it’s true! It’s like that old tried-and-true saying, “When I give, I receive.” I’m sure Sinek likes that quote as well. But are there any parallel examples outside the business world that illustrate Sinek’s point?

How about the military? Sinek said a Marine Corps general once said to him: “The cost of leadership is self-interest.” A high-ranking official in the military must have the utmost respect for his troops — after all, those troops may have to risk their lives under his command. But to garner that kind of respect, a general must first earn it, by putting the interests of the group above his own.

As a military leader, putting aside self-interest is a job requirement. Science also has much to say about the personal rewards that come from true leadership. Sinek says great leaders know how to activate certain biological triggers and chemicals. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that relays signals throughout our brain, is one such chemical. Serotonin is activated when people are honored for doing a “good job.” Commencement events at high schools and colleges activate serotonin — that’s why schools have those long ceremonies, instead of just mailing diplomas as PDFs.

Cortisol is activated when leaders act poorly. Cortisol is the body’s fight or flight chemical, and while it saved our ancestors from trouble in the wild, today it can destroy the effectiveness of organizations. Sinek says that too many organizations today are unsafe. Employees live in constant fear of being fired, or are under too much stress in the workplace. And when people are constantly protecting themselves from danger, everyone gets selfish.

What far too many businesses fail to understand is that “Leadership is a daily practice that comes at great sacrifice.” Great leaders not only paint a vision of their ideal organization and share the “why,” but also are willing to make sacrifices for their people when it counts.

So, along with “Leaders eat last,” science and Sinek both say: “When we give, we receive.”

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