The cover of Leaders Eat Last

Leaders Eat Last

by Simon Sinek

I read this one as part of a book club for work. I’ve read my fair share of leadership books — this one is not the best, but it’s not absolutely the worst, either. Many of the chapters are summaries of other leadership books: a bit on the nuclear submarine Santa Fe from Turn the Ship Around, a bit of High Output Management here and there, with a sprinkling of lean manufacturing and the Toyota Product System for good measure.

One of the few novel bits tilts towards the sociopathic: Sinek breaks down the neurochemical underpinning of feelings of belonging and love, and discusses how to use this understanding to build better teams.

A colleague summed up my feelings towards this book nicely by pointing out that, aside from his writing career, Simon Sinek has never had a real job. Take his advice with a grain of salt.