Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

Leaders Eat Last was a great read that really made me think about what leadership should look like. The main idea — that great leaders create environments where people feel safe, supported, and valued — stuck with me throughout the book. It explains why some teams naturally come together and perform well, while others fall apart even when they have talent. I really liked how Simon Sinek breaks down the “chemistry of leadership,” especially the way he explains trust, culture, and the biological side of teamwork. The stories he uses — from the military, business, and everyday workplaces — make the concepts easy to understand and apply. It helped me look at leadership from a different angle and think more about how my own actions can affect the people around me. The book also made me reflect on environments I’ve worked in where leadership either pushed people together or pushed them away. It’s eye-opening to see how much stronger a team becomes when people feel protected instead of pressured. If there’s one downside, it’s that some of the examples can feel a little long or occasionally repeat similar themes. But the core message is strong enough that it still feels worth reading. Overall, Leaders Eat Last is a meaningful book with lessons that apply far beyond the workplace. If you care about building trust, strengthening teams, and understanding what real leadership looks like, this is a great one to add to your list.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this used book. It arrived in good condition, with minimal wear and little to no major damage. The pages were clean and easy to read, and the content itself is excellent on improving leadership skills and what makes great leaders who they are. A great value for anyone looking to enjoy this book without paying full price.

Leaders Eat Last is a powerful and inspiring read for anyone who truly wants to earn the right to lead. Simon Sinek masterfully explains that leadership is not about titles or numbers — it’s about people. Our greatest asset isn’t on a balance sheet — it’s the human beings we serve, guide, and grow with. This book explores different leadership styles and shows how leadership, when done with empathy and integrity, can be astronomical in its impact. As my father, the great Walter Leon Freeman, always said, “Treat people how you would want to be treated.” That principle resonated deeply with the message of this book. I appreciated how Sinek broke down the difference between leadership driven by trust and loyalty versus leadership driven by metrics and pressure. The wrong approach can be devastating — to morale, to culture, and ultimately to long-term success. One caveat: I would have gladly given this book 5 stars, but my Kindle showed it was complete at 82%, which made me think the book had ended prematurely. I felt something was missing. However, like a well-crafted Marvel movie, Sinek added bonus content for those who stuck around — and I’m glad I did. The final chapters dove into an essential topic: how to lead and understand Millennials (Gen Y). That insight alone opened my eyes and mind to a whole new level of leadership. Sinek also exemplified true leadership by dedicating a chapter to thank those who helped him create the book and credited his sources — a reminder that no great leader succeeds alone. I highly recommend Leaders Eat Last to any current or aspiring leader. Simon Sinek doesn’t just teach leadership — he lives it, and it shows in every chapter of this awesome read.

Simon Sinek has demonstrated in his book that we are all humans that should be treated with respect. In this regard businesses are starting to forget about the core fundamentals that make profit without considering people as just numbers. The more exposure leaders get with their employees the better the leaders should treat his company. In return for this generous care and safety employees start to take the company more then just a place to work. Employees will wear their company on their shoulders and would be proud to work at the company for as long as they would be allowed. Without safety or trust though comes a high stress environment where employees feel lifeless. They come for the money then leave, this leads to people not feeling safe and secure and causes them to not trust their leader in helping them support their family. Successful companies treat their employees like their children; they will not lay off employees when times get bad but actually treat them with even more safety. This simple act of kindness allows employees themselves to protect one another such as ideas of having mandatory no pay vacations in small doses so they can all pull together and wait out the bad times of the company. Simon talks about key terms such as the circle of safety as well as our biology with selfish chemicals such as endorphin and dopamine. The other two chemicals that we receive are called selfless chemicals and they are serotonin and oxytocin. Endorphins come from physical activity, or stress and fear. When it is released into our body it masks pain with pleasure. This is also seen when we start to enjoy exercising and how some people can complete long triathlons. This chemical gives us the next step in what we need to cover a great distance. Dopamine is the reward we receive when we accomplish something or become near to accomplishing a task. Dopamine is slowly released little by little when we get closer to finishing something. The dopamine amount is also relative to how hard the task is. Dopamine is the reason why we continue with projects because it makes us feel good about ourselves. Serotonin is the feeling we get when we feel recognized and appreciated. It gives us confidence and makes us strong when we receive a compliment of our abilities as a person. examples of this is when we walk receive an award for best employee in front of all your co-workers, or walking down graduation day being held your degree you worked so hard to get. Oxytocin is the chemical we receive when we develop deep trust with another person. When someone does something nice to us we get a rush of oxytocin in our blood and it is a feeling what some call the chemical love. Oxytocin is also responsible for making us vulnerable and open up. This gives us a equal share in the group to bare our inner circle of safety which gives us an easier time to focus on tasks. These two terms go hand in hand and it is up to the leaders to create the circle of safety for their employees in the work environment a place they feel safe and secure. Without the circle of safety being received by all employees, trust and integrity go down the drain and slowly grab the company in a slow but sure spiral of how the company should be. These chemicals should be in balance and it is up to how the leader structures their company to ensure their employees are receiving the circle of safety. The military and basic human fundamentals are clear examples Simon based his theories on and I feel he did a good job explaining himself. Fantastic book and a must read!

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek arrived promptly and in excellent condition, with great delivery service. This book is a powerful exploration of leadership and team dynamics. Sinek argues that great leaders prioritize the well-being of their teams and create environments where people feel safe, valued, and motivated to work together toward a common goal. Through real-world examples and compelling research, Sinek explains how leaders who focus on fostering trust and cooperation can create teams that thrive. The book is well-written, engaging, and filled with practical insights that can be applied in both professional and personal settings. Whether you’re leading a team or looking to improve teamwork within an organization, this book provides valuable lessons on how to create a positive and effective team culture. Leaders Eat Last is a must-read for anyone interested in leadership, organizational culture, and teamwork.

So I'm only on Chapter 4, but this is just a great book on leadership.... practical, inexpensive common sense, easy to do strategies. It's just not as difficult as some may think... be kind.

I read Simon Sinek's first work, “Start with Why” and found it tremendously inspirational. “Leaders Eat Last” is the eight course meal follow up to “Start with Why” and equally, if not more, thought provoking. SImon Sinek's recent book introduces powerful thoughts and ideas on the human condition and mechanisms with relevant and well-researched examples occurring in the world today in all organizations. This is “theory to practice” on how leaders can create an environment most conducive to trust and cooperation and thus deliver fulfillment for the entire team. And along the journey, the author seems willing to take on leaders of our generation and not pull any punches when describing the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. In a world of increasing political correctness and a fear of taking a stand and opening oneself to critique, this was both refreshing and respected and added value to the call for passionate servant leadership in our societies. Additionally, as he did in "Start with Why," the author walks the reader seamlessly between civilian and military in his ideas and references. Serving as this Rosetta Stone between the two worlds, he translates ideas and teachings and makes both worlds better. The science is eye-opening and the examples are informative, practical, and inspirational. This is a great read for any leader, formal or informal, who desires to make a difference in the lives around them and entrusted into their care. In my opinion, “Leaders Eat Last” is a manifesto for those who believe that selfless leadership cannot just make a difference; it is the single greatest difference.

This book is truly amazing. Within the pages you will learn the importance of establishing REAL long lasting relationships with those in your life as opposed to digital ones. These relationships are not just limited to the ones you love: your friends, family and so on, but also the relationships we have with our coworkers, and others around us. Simon has packed this book with practical examples of changes we can make to improve those relationships, the dangers of unchecked social media use and backs it all up with study after study. Whether or not you aspire to own a business or become a CEO, we can all learn a lot from this book and its teachings could literally make this world a better place if we could all start making small changes for the good of us all rather than what’s good for us. Learn about the “Circle Of Safety” and how it was not only relevant to humans and animals thousands of years ago but also, perhaps even more relevant today and in the future. In 2017 Simon and team revisited “Leaders Eat Last” and added a section on leading Millennials. He highlights the difference between the Millennial generation and other generations before them. He takes this a step further and offers practical applications for how companies can make the most of their Millennial team members and also how Millennials can make the most of their employers and grow to become stronger humans all together. Also in this section are tips for parents to better deal with their children in our rapidly changing and growing society. It’s not often that an author writes a book that can help so many people in so many ways throughout various walks of life, but Simon Sinek and his team have certainly done so with “Leaders Eat Last.” -Doug Lane