“Leadership is not a license to do less, it’s a responsibility to do more.” This powerful quote is an insight to the stories, analogies and examples Simon Sinek uses to portray what it means to be a leader. At times we strive to attain higher positions, as from the outside it seems to provide more of the comforts of life; money, perks, power. However, “the cost of leadership is self interest.”
Sinek tells a powerful anecdote of a ceramic cup and the former Under Secretary of Defense. Speaking at a conference the gentleman shares how at the prior years event he was flown first class, escorted by drivers everywhere and was given coffee in a nice ceramic cup. A year later he had resigned from his position and returned to speak. This time, the man flew coach, no one was there to escort him around, and he fetched his own coffee in a cheap styrofoam cup.
"It occurs to me, the ceramic cup they gave me last year was never meant for me at all. It was meant for the position I held. I deserve a Styrofoam cup. All the perks, all the benefits and advantages you may get for the rank or position you hold, they aren’t meant for you. They are meant for the role you fill. And when you leave your role, which eventually you will, they will give the ceramic cup to the person who replaces you. Because you only ever deserved a Styrofoam cup."
At the end of the journey, one must realize “a leaders legacy is only as strong as the foundation they leave behind that allows others to advance the organization.”
To effectively lead the people, employees must genuinely believe you have their back. You can’t tell someone to be happy and expect them to be happy, the same similarities exist with trust. A cheetah has a clear advantage over a pack of gazelle that are spread out across the African dessert, each only watching their own back. How much more powerful could they be if they grouped together and formed a pack?
“No one wakes up in the morning with the hope that someone will manage us. We wake up in the morning with the hope that someone will lead us.” Your people build your company. Better products, services and innovations are a result of employees who invent and innovate. Employees who invent and innovate are the direct result of leaders who truly lead.
Leadership is not a license to do less, it’s a responsibility to do more.
My rating – 3.5/5
Should you read – Sinek provides incredible stories, but at times gets side tracked and dives into politics and how to turn around the country. He has a tangent on various generations and what they brought to the table. The link to his talk about the same topic of Leaders Eat Last is here. If you love the talk read the book, if not the reviews and stories can be found online and will be sufficient.