Leaders Eat Last

Leadership is always a commitment to human beings. Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.

The effects are not always easily measured and they are not always immediate.

Leadership is not a license to do less; it is a responsibility to do more.

The leaders of companies set the tone and direction for the people.

Money is an abstraction of tangible resources or human effort. Unlike the time and effort the people spend on something, it is what money represents that gives it its value.

We are naturally cooperative animals that are biologically more inspired and motivated when we know we are helping others.

But when big numbers start representing human beings, as Stalin told us, our ability to empathize starts to falter.

We work to advance the vision of a leader who inspires us and we work to undermine a dictator who means to control us.

People will be more concerned about following the rules out of fear of getting in trouble or losing their jobs than doing what needs to be done.

In weak organizations, without oversight, too many people will break the rules for personal gain.

The more experienced and confident we become, the more the organization is willing to give us greater and greater responsibility.

Courage comes from above; our confidence to do what’s right is determined by how trusted we feel by our leaders.

The ones who were shoved aside would likely be less willing to trust or workclosely with someone who had punched them earlier this afternoon. That’s how hierarchy works.

Almost everything about us is purpose-built to help increase our opportunities for survival and success, and our need for leaders is no exception.

The goal of any leader of any organization is to find balance.

Oxytocin helps us form relationships so strong we can make decisions with complete confidence that those who care about us will stand by our side.

Everything about our bodies was designed with one goal—to help us survive. This includes the feelings of happiness.

When we identify with a culture, we articulate our belonging to that group and align ourselves with a shared set of values and beliefs.

everyone else who lives there, have to share in the responsibility of looking after the household and the others who live in it.

Letting someone into an organization is like adopting a child and welcoming them into your home.

For our modern-day businesses and organizations, the dangers we confront are both real and perceived.

The world around us is filled with danger, filled with things trying to make our lives miserable.

To see money as subordinate to people and not the other way around is fundamental to creating a culture in which the people naturally pull together to advance the business.

If we feel safe among our own people, in our own tribes or organizations, we relax and are more open to trust and cooperation.

Nearly every system in the human body exists to help us survive and thrive.If we sense danger, our defenses go up.

For most of us, the more recognition we get for our efforts from those in charge, the more successful we think we are.

In the linear hierarchies in which we work, we want the folks at the top to see what we did. We raise our hands for recognition and reward.

Our primitive minds still perceive the world around us in terms of threats to our well-being or opportunities to find safety.

In our modern world, advancing our careers and trying to find happiness and fulfillment are the definition of success.