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Simon Sinek: Why Leaders Eat Last
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Simon Sinek: Why Leaders Eat Last

Introduction

The video introduces the story of Johnny Bravo, a pilot who risked his life to save American troops in Afghanistan.

The Story of Johnny Bravo

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  • On August 16, 2002, two A-10 Warthogs were flying over a valley in Afghanistan.
  • Below them, 22 Special Forces troops were trying to make their way through the country.
  • One of the pilots, Johnny Bravo, could feel that something was wrong and decided to go down below the clouds to have a look.
  • As he went through the clouds, he heard the call "troops in contact" which meant they were under effective fire.
  • He saw tracer fire coming from all sides of the valley pointed right in the middle where the American forces were.
  • He picked a point and started laying down suppressing fire while flying dangerously close to cliffs on both sides of him.
  • His wingman joined him and together they flew three feet apart from each other wing-to-wing while laying down suppressing fire.
  • That night, all 22 Americans went home alive with zero casualties.

Where Do People Like Johnny Bravo Come From?

The speaker reflects on what motivates people like Johnny Bravo to risk their lives for others and how this differs from incentives in business.

Human Nature vs. Business Incentives

  • People like Johnny Bravo are made rather than born. They are motivated by systems inside our bodies that try to get us to do things that are in the interests of human survival.
  • In contrast, in business, bonuses are given to people who are willing to sacrifice others so that the company may gain.
  • The speaker suggests that we have it backwards and asks if we would like to work in an organization where we have absolute confidence that other people working there would be willing to sacrifice themselves so that we may survive.
  • He notes that this does not necessarily mean giving up one's life but rather being willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.

The Four Chemicals of Happiness

In this section, the speaker discusses the four chemicals that are responsible for producing feelings of happiness.

Endorphins and Dopamine: The Selfish Chemicals

  • Endorphins mask physical pain and are responsible for the "runner's high" feeling after a heavy exercise.
  • Dopamine is released when we accomplish something or find something we're looking for. It helps us stay focused on our goals and motivates us to achieve them.

Serotonin and Oxytocin: The Social Chemicals

  • Serotonin is released when we feel significant or important. It helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep.
  • Oxytocin is released when we bond with others through touch, socializing, or intimacy. It promotes trust, empathy, and generosity.

Why Humans Are Good at Survival

In this section, the speaker explains why humans are good at survival compared to other hominid species.

Social Animals

  • Humans are social animals who have to work together to ensure survival.
  • We have to look after each other and work together to thrive.

Endurance

  • Humans are made for endurance. We can track an animal for hours and miles without giving up.
  • This ability feels good because it releases endorphins that mask physical pain.

The Importance of Visual Goals

In this section, the speaker discusses why visual goals are important in motivating us to achieve them.

Biological Reason for Dopamine

  • Dopamine exists to help us go looking for food and achieve our goals.
  • When we see something that reminds us of a goal, we get a small hit of dopamine that motivates us to work towards it.

Corporate Visions

  • Corporate visions must be tangible and visible to motivate employees.
  • A vision must be something we can see, not just words like "biggest" or "fastest-growing."

Setting Goals and Achieving Milestones

In this section, the speaker talks about setting goals and achieving milestones. He emphasizes the importance of having a vision and working towards it.

Importance of Having a Vision

  • The speaker encourages us to imagine a future where people of different races can play together.
  • He explains that dopamine is the feeling we get when we set out to find something we're looking for.
  • The speaker shares an example of how he wrote down his errands on a list and felt good crossing them off as he completed them.

Dopamine Addiction

  • The speaker warns that dopamine is highly addictive and lists some things that release dopamine such as alcohol, nicotine, gambling, and cell phones.
  • He gives examples of how people can become addicted to their phones by checking them first thing in the morning or walking around with them from room to room.
  • The speaker points out that multitasking is not effective and can lead to distractions while driving or at work.
  • He mentions that ADHD diagnoses have risen 66% in the past 10 years due to misdiagnosis caused by technology addiction.

Addiction in Companies

  • The speaker explains how companies can feed employees' addiction by giving them numbers to hit for bonuses which leads to wanting more dopamine hits.
  • He warns that addicts will do anything to get another hit even if it means sacrificing their own resources and relationships.

Balancing Dopamine with Fulfillment, Love, and Trust

In this section, the speaker talks about balancing dopamine with fulfillment, love, and trust. He explains that dopamine is helpful when in a comfortable and balanced system but can be dangerous when unbalanced.

Balancing Dopamine

  • The speaker encourages us to achieve our goals to get dopamine and endorphins but reminds us that we also need fulfillment, love, and trust.
  • He explains that fulfillment comes from doing things for others while love and trust come from building relationships.

Survival Instincts

  • The speaker talks about how humans survived by working together in groups to overcome dangers such as saber-toothed tigers or lack of resources.

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Video description

About this presentation In this in-depth talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek reveals the hidden dynamics that inspire leadership and trust. In biological terms, leaders get the first pick of food and other spoils, but at a cost. When danger is present, the group expects the leader to mitigate all threats even at the expense of their personal well-being. Understanding this deep-seated expectation is the key difference between someone who is just an "authority" versus a true "leader." For more on this topic, check out Sinek's latest book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't now available for pre-order. Watch more videos here: http://www.99u.com 3:30 Happiness breakdown (4 chemicals) 5:53 1) Endorphins 7:16 Importance of endurance 7:59 2) Dopamine 8:19 Dopamine is to make sure get stuff done 9:10 Goals must be tangible - we have to see the goal to stay focused 10:17 Dopamine is dangerous when unbalanced 15:07 Feel safe 15:40 In our organization, danger isn't a constant it is a variable 17:05 The responsibility of leadership is 2 things: 1) Determine who gets in and who doesn't 2) how big do we make the circle of safety 17:33 Great leaders extend safety to the outermost of the org 17:53 3) Serotonin - leadership chemical 19:30 Trying to enforce relationships 22:22 Value of group-living 22:28 Being alpha comes at a cost 26:01 The cost of leadership is self-interest 27:15 Makes you feel safe 27:34 4) Oxytocin 29:03 Businesses aren't rational, it's about feeling safe. "It's human -- physical touch" 29:27 "Human bonds matter" 29:29 Act of human generosity 32:19 Leaders spend time/energy not money 37:30 You have to make sure you can trust others as leaders because you won't have time to help everyone 38:47 Cortisone - the feeling of stress and anxiety 40:59 Needs to shut down during times 41:42 Cortisone inhabits oxytocin 42:18 "Our jobs are killing us.. leaders are responsible" 43:12 Leadership is a decision, a choice. About Simon Sinek A trained ethnographer and the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek has held a life-long curiosity for why people and organizations do the things they do. Studying the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in the world and achieve a more lasting success than others, he discovered the formula that explains how they do it. Sinek's amazingly simple idea, The Golden Circle, is grounded in the biology of human decision-making and is changing how leaders and companies think and act. His innovative views on business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including Microsoft, Dell, SAP, Intel, Chanel, Members of the United States Congress, and the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq. Sinek recently became an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He also works with the non-profit Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. He lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University. About 99U The 99U delivers the action-oriented education that you didn't get in school, highlighting real-world best practices for making ideas happen.