Title–Leaders Eat Last
Author–Simon Sinek
Genre–Non-Fiction
Why I read this book:
There were 2 major reason why I NEEDED to read this book “Leaders Eat Last”. The first is the fact that it is the newest book from Simon Sinek. Simon Sinek, the author of “Start With Why”, is a fantastic author when it comes to writing on Leadership. Simon Sinek has a way of combining real life leadership examples with science so you
understand the “What” and the “Why” when it comes to good and bad life experiences. The second reason I had to read this book was the basis behind the title “Leaders Eat Last”. When the Marines head to the chow hall to eat, the most senior soldiers actually are served last and the most junior soldiers are served first. Oh, and this manner of eating is NOT an “order”. They just do it. Why? Because at the heart of the Marine’s leadership philosophy is to make sure others are taken care of before themselves. Are there really good real-life examples of business leaders that Lead by this same philosophy? Of course! Are there really juicy real-life examples of Leaders that put themselves above everyone else and fail miserably? Absolutely!!
What I learned:
Is it coincidence that humans, with all our gifts, are not made to survive alone? We are not as strong as bears. We do not have rows of razor sharp teeth like sharks. We don’t have thick, scaly skin to protect us from attack like crocodiles. In other words, without serotonin and oxytocin, we would be eliminated one by one and eventually become extinct. Serotonin and Oxytocin are the reasons why humans WANT to be social, work together, and achieve milestones TOGETHER. After we build that nice fort to protect our clan, serotonin and oxytocin give us that warm blanket of trust and camaraderie. This combination of science and social skills create great Leaders that bring communities and companies together!
So why would you NOT want to create a culture that encourages the production of serotonin and oxytocin in others? What about a chemical like dopamine? This is the chemical that is released when we get what we want, like a goal or some kind of reward system. Well, give me more dopamine!! There in lies the problem. Dopamine is HIGHLY addictive. Ever wonder why you get so excited when you get a “beep” on your phone that signals to you that you just got a “Like” on your social media post? Dopamine! Now we can’t put our phones down!! So how does this relate to Leadership?
Is your organization led by someone who puts the group first and acheiving milestones as one (serotonin and oxytocin) OR is it ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS and numbers equals money (dopamine).
What type of Leader would you rather be?
How reading this book will help me succeed:
Reading this book while in a Federal Prison Camp was more beneficial than reading it on the outside. Why you ask?
Being an inmate can seem like a 100% individual experience. Do what “I” need to do so “I” can get out as soon “I” can. Why would I try to think of prison as if I was in an organization or a group setting? First of all, helping others in a community, prison or not, literally makes your brain release chemicals that FEEL GOOD. In my first 3.5 months inside Federal Prison, I have witnessed so many examples of “brothers helping brothers” that it inspired ME to jump in myself. Examples include helping fellow inmates earn their GED, teaching someone a new craft like welding, or even coaching a fellow inmate with their softball swing so they can better help the TEAM. Harmony is desirable even in prison. Once I have re-entered society, I can take the “Leaders Eat Last” mentality that I learned and honed in prison and release it to help my fellow “brothers and sisters” at my future place of employment and in my community.
Today’s society is so focused on “Leading by the Numbers” instead of Leading People—How many followers do I have? How many units did I sell? How many likes did I get? History is on full display in “Leaders Eat Last” that when Leaders put their people first, their organization soars, people are happier and more loyal…Oh, and not
Page 1 of 2 10/5/2022
GOOD. In my first 3.5 months inside Federal Prison, I have witnessed so many examples of “brothers helping brothers” that it inspired ME to jump in myself. Examples include helping fellow inmates earn their GED, teaching someone a new craft like welding, or even coaching a fellow inmate with their softball swing so they can better help the TEAM. Harmony is desirable even in prison. Once I have re-entered society, I can take the “Leaders Eat Last” mentality that I learned and honed in prison and release it to help my fellow “brothers and sisters” at my future place of employment and in my community.
Today’s society is so focused on “Leading by the Numbers” instead of Leading People—How many followers do I have? How many units did I sell? How many likes did I get? History is on full display in “Leaders Eat Last” that when Leaders put their people first, their organization soars, people are happier and more loyal…Oh, and not coincidentally, THE NUMBERS TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES….
About Me:
My name is Jeff Piecka and I was sentenced to 34 months in a Federal Prison Camp in Oxford, WI, after committing and pleading guilty to a white collar crime several years ago. Before self-surrendering on June 6, 2022, I promised my wife and family that I WILL exit prison a better husband, son, brother, Christian, future employee, and overall better member of society because I am going to better myself in three ways: 1) Physically–Not just for vanity purposes but a better operating body equals a better operating mind. 2) Mentally–Reading books, stories, papers, and magazines that educate and elevate my mind and expand my vocabulary.
3) Spiritually–For ME, this means learning more from the Bible but it can also mean whatever “Greater Good” you believe in.
Shortly after self-surrendering and reading Michael Santos’s book “Earning Freedom–Conquering a 45 Year Prison Term”, it inspired me to want to help just 1 person who is possibly heading to prison so i started emailing my family Posts that my sister uses to post on a Blog on Reddit dot com called “Letters From Federal Prison”. I believe to date it has close to 7,000 views and shares plus there are now 3 comments from people advising that the Blog has helped them. This has motivated me to keep writing (which I have never done anything like this before) and I REALLY want to help more people when I return to society next year.
