Why good leaders make you feel safe | Simon Sinek | TED

Summary

The speaker draws inspiration from Captain William Swenson, who risked his life to save others during an ambush in Afghanistan. He contrasts this selfless act with the prevalent business culture of prioritizing personal gain over the well-being of employees. Through powerful examples and insights, he argues that great leadership lies in creating an environment where people feel safe and cared for, fostering trust and cooperation. When leaders put their people first, even in difficult times, it elicits extraordinary dedication and effort from employees, who feel their leaders would do the same for them.

Takeaways

• ๐ช Leadership is about creating a circle of safety where people feel protected, trusted, and motivated to cooperate.
• ๐ก True leaders sacrifice their own interests to prioritize the well-being and growth of their people.
• ๐ฆพ In great organizations, people willingly give their best efforts because they trust their leaders would do the same for them.
• ๐ค Treating people like family, with lifetime employment and personal development, fosters loyalty and cooperation.
• ๐งก Leaders should take the first risk and make sacrifices before asking the same of others.
• ๐ค Rank does not determine leadership; leaders emerge by choosing to care for those around them.
• ๐ When people feel safe, they naturally combine talents to face external challenges and seize opportunities.
• ๐ธ Monetary incentives alone cannot create the same level of trust and commitment as true leadership.
• ๐ต Environment and conditions set by leadership shape people's capacity for remarkable achievements.
• ๐ฆ True leaders protect their people, even when it means sacrificing tangible results or personal gains.

Q & A

What was the remarkable incident that took place on September 8, 2009, involving Captain William Swenson?

On September 8, 2009, Captain William Swenson was part of a column of American and Afghan troops that came under ambush in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions that day, which included running into live fire to rescue the wounded and pull out the dead. Remarkably, a medevac medic captured the scene on a GoPro camera, showing Swenson giving a kiss to a wounded soldier before continuing to rescue others.

What is the key difference between how the military and businesses typically operate, according to the speaker?

The speaker notes that in the military, medals are given to people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may gain. In contrast, in business, bonuses are often given to people who are willing to sacrifice others so that they may gain personally. The speaker suggests that businesses have this backwards.

What is the speaker's initial conclusion about why some people exhibit extraordinary acts of courage and selflessness, and what does he later realize?

The speaker's initial conclusion was that such people are simply "better people" who are attracted to the concept of service in the military. However, he later realized that it's the environment that matters, and that every single person has the capacity to do remarkable things if the right environment is created.

What is the significance of the "circle of safety" concept, and how does it relate to trust and cooperation?

The speaker explains that 50,000 years ago, early humans evolved to live and work together in a "circle of safety" within their tribe, where they felt a sense of belonging. When they felt safe among their own, the natural reaction was trust and cooperation, which improved their chances of survival. The modern-day organization functions similarly, where trust and cooperation thrive when people feel safe and protected within the organization.

How does the speaker illustrate the importance of leaders prioritizing the safety and well-being of their people?

The speaker uses the example of a gate agent treating passengers like "cattle" because she feared getting in trouble or losing her job if she didn't follow the rules strictly. This demonstrated that she didn't feel safe or trust her leaders, which ultimately weakens the organization. In contrast, when leaders prioritize the safety and well-being of their people, it fosters trust and cooperation, leading to remarkable achievements.

What policy did Charlie Kim, the CEO of Next Jump, implement to demonstrate his commitment to his employees?

Charlie Kim implemented a policy of lifetime employment at Next Jump. Employees cannot be fired for performance issues; instead, they are coached and supported, much like how parents would support their children who bring home a poor grade.

How did Bob Chapman, the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, handle the need to save $10 million during the 2008 recession, and what was the significance of his approach?

Instead of laying off employees, Bob Chapman implemented a furlough program where every employee, from secretary to CEO, was required to take four weeks of unpaid vacation. This approach demonstrated that he believed in protecting his people, even at the cost of financial numbers. His statement, "It's better that we should all suffer a little than any of us should have to suffer a lot," boosted morale and fostered trust and cooperation among employees.

According to the speaker, what is the natural response when people feel safe and protected by their leaders?

When people feel safe and protected by their leaders, the natural response is to trust and cooperate. The speaker mentions examples of employees spontaneously trading vacation time to help those who needed it more, illustrating the trust and cooperation that arises when people feel their leaders have their best interests in mind.

How does the speaker define a true leader, and what is the significance of the Marine example he provides?

The speaker defines a true leader as someone who chooses to look after the people to their left and right, regardless of their rank or authority. He provides the example of Marines allowing their officer to eat last, and then sharing their food with him when there was none left, to illustrate that true leaders put their people first, and in turn, their people reciprocate that devotion and sacrifice.

What is the ultimate message the speaker wants to convey about the kind of organization people would like to work in?

The speaker's ultimate message is that people want to work in an organization where leaders prioritize the well-being and safety of their people, even at the cost of tangible results. When leaders sacrifice for their people, the natural response is for those people to give their "blood and sweat and tears" to see the leader's vision come to life, creating an environment of trust, cooperation, and remarkable achievements.

Outlines

00:00

🎖️ Heroism and Sacrifice: The Story of Captain William Swenson

Captain William Swenson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery during an ambush in Afghanistan on September 8, 2009. Surrounded by enemy fire, Swenson risked his life to save wounded soldiers and retrieve the fallen. Notably, his act of kissing a wounded sergeant before placing him in a medevac helicopter, captured on a GoPro camera, highlights his deep emotional connection and selflessness. This act raises questions about the source of such profound bravery and the contrast between military and business rewards for self-sacrifice versus self-preservation.

05:01

🤝 Creating Trust and Cooperation in Organizations

The essence of leadership and organizational culture is likened to a circle of safety, enabling trust and cooperation among members. The narrative contrasts the experience with an airline employee, revealing how fear and distrust within organizations hinder performance. By prioritizing employee safety and belonging, leaders can foster a collaborative environment. This philosophy extends to the concept of lifetime employment at Next Jump and the furlough program at Barry-Wehmiller, showcasing leadership that sacrifices numbers for people, thereby enhancing morale and cooperation.

10:02

👥 Leadership as a Choice, Not a Rank

True leadership is defined not by authority but by the choice to protect and serve those around us. Examples from the military, where officers eat last, illustrate that leadership is about self-sacrifice and care for others. Such leaders inspire loyalty and dedication, proving that leadership is about creating an environment where people are motivated to give their best for each other. The closing message emphasizes the desire for organizations where mutual support and sacrifice are the norms, fostering a workplace that everyone aspires to be part of.

Keywords

💡Congressional Medal of Honor

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is given in recognition of acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. In the script, Captain William Swenson is mentioned as a recipient of this medal for his actions during an ambush in Afghanistan, illustrating his bravery and selflessness in a life-threatening situation.

💡sacrifice

Sacrifice in this context refers to the act of giving something highly valuable for the sake of others, often involving personal loss or risk. The speaker contrasts the military's practice of awarding medals for personal sacrifice for the greater good with the business world's tendency to reward those who sacrifice others for personal gain. This highlights the noble quality of putting others' safety and needs before one's own, as exemplified by Captain Swenson's actions.

💡trust and cooperation

Trust and cooperation are presented as foundational elements necessary for effective teamwork and leadership. The speaker argues that these qualities are not merely directives that can be ordered, but feelings that must be cultivated within a group. This is emphasized through stories of military and corporate leaders who create environments where trust and cooperation flourish, leading to remarkable outcomes.

💡environment

The environment, as discussed in the video, refers to the conditions and culture established within an organization or team. The speaker argues that the right environment enables individuals to perform extraordinary acts of courage and selflessness. This is exemplified by the military's culture of sacrifice and mutual support, suggesting that similar cultural values can foster exceptional behavior in business and other settings.

💡circle of safety

The 'circle of safety' concept is used to describe a social structure where individuals feel protected and belong, leading to natural trust and cooperation. This idea is traced back to early human history when survival depended on communal living and mutual defense. In modern contexts, creating a circle of safety within organizations can enhance performance by ensuring that members feel secure and supported.

💡leadership

Leadership is portrayed not as a position of authority but as a choice to prioritize the well-being of others, inspiring trust and dedication. The speaker provides examples of effective leaders who act more like protective parents, ensuring the safety and growth of their 'children' or team members. This approach to leadership fosters a culture of mutual support and sacrifice.

💡lifetime employment

Lifetime employment is mentioned as a policy implemented by Next Jump's CEO, illustrating a commitment to treating employees with the same care and loyalty one would show to family members. This policy is cited as an example of creating a secure environment where employees feel valued and supported, contrasting sharply with practices of layoffs and job insecurity.

💡social contract

The social contract refers to the unwritten agreement between leaders and their followers that the former will protect and prioritize the latter's well-being. The speaker criticizes banking CEOs for violating this contract by sacrificing employees' interests for personal gain, highlighting the ethical responsibilities of leadership.

💡furlough program

The furlough program mentioned in the script was a strategy used by Barry-Wehmiller to avoid layoffs during the 2008 recession. By requiring all employees to take unpaid leave, the company spread the financial burden evenly, thereby maintaining a sense of fairness and collective sacrifice that actually boosted morale and cooperation.

💡vision

Vision in leadership refers to a clear and inspiring future goal that a leader seeks to achieve. The speaker emphasizes that leaders who prioritize their people's welfare create an environment where employees are willing to give their utmost effort to realize that vision. This mutual dedication is rooted in the belief that the leader would do the same for them, illustrating the profound bond of loyalty and trust that can exist.

Highlights

Captain Swenson was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during an ambush in Afghanistan, where he risked his life to rescue wounded soldiers and retrieve the dead, even kissing a wounded soldier before continuing to rescue others.

The author questions why people in business are rewarded for sacrificing others, while in the military, people are rewarded for sacrificing themselves for others, suggesting that 'we have it backwards.'

The author initially thought that military heroes were just 'better people,' but later realized that it's the environment that brings out the capacity for remarkable acts of trust and cooperation in all of us.

In the Paleolithic era, humans evolved to live and work together in a 'circle of safety' within their tribe, where trust and cooperation were natural reactions to feeling safe.

Just like in the Paleolithic era, the modern world is filled with dangers, and the only variable is the conditions inside an organization, set by leadership.

When a leader prioritizes the safety and well-being of their people over tangible results, remarkable things happen, and people naturally combine their talents to face external dangers.

Great leaders, like great parents, want to provide their people with opportunities, education, discipline, and the chance to try and fail, so they can achieve more than the leader could ever imagine.

The CEO of Next Jump implemented a policy of lifetime employment, coaching and supporting employees instead of firing them, just like parents would support their children.

People are offended by banking CEOs' salaries and bonuses not because of the numbers, but because they violated the social contract by sacrificing their people for their own interests.

Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, implemented a furlough program during the recession, where everyone took unpaid vacation, so that no one would have to suffer a lot, fostering trust and cooperation.

Leadership is a choice, not a rank. True leaders look after those around them, regardless of their position in the organization.

In the story of the Marines, the officer ate last, and when there was no food left, his men brought him some of their food, because leaders go first and sacrifice for their people.

When leaders sacrifice for their people, the natural response is for the people to give their blood, sweat, and tears to see the leader's vision come to life, because 'they would have done it for me.'

The author suggests that this is the kind of organization we would all like to work in, where trust, cooperation, and sacrifice for one another are the norm.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of leadership in creating an environment of trust, cooperation, and mutual sacrifice, where remarkable things can be achieved.

Transcripts

There's a man by the name of Captain

William Swenson

who recently was awarded the congressional Medal of Honor

for his actions on September 8, 2009.

On that day, a column of American

and Afghan troops

were making their way

through a part of Afghanistan

to help protect

a group of government officials,

a group of Afghan government officials,

who would be meeting with some local

village elders.

The column came under ambush,

and was surrounded on three sides,

and amongst many other things,

Captain Swenson was recognized

for running into live fire

to rescue the wounded

and pull out the dead.

One of the people he rescued was a sergeant,

and he and a comrade were making their way

to a medevac helicopter.

And what was remarkable about this day

is, by sheer coincidence,

one of the medevac medics

happened to have a GoPro camera on his helmet

and captured the whole scene on camera.

It shows Captain Swenson and his comrade

bringing this wounded soldier

who had received a gunshot to the neck.

They put him in the helicopter,

and then you see Captain Swenson bend over

and give him a kiss

before he turns around to rescue more.

I saw this, and I thought to myself,

where do people like that come from?

What is that? That is some deep, deep emotion,

when you would want to do that.

There's a love there,

and I wanted to know why is it that

I don't have people that I work with like that?

You know, in the military, they give medals

to people who are willing to sacrifice themselves

so that others may gain.

In business, we give bonuses to people

who are willing to sacrifice others

so that we may gain.

We have it backwards. Right?

So I asked myself, where do people like this come from?

And my initial conclusion was that they're just better people.

That's why they're attracted to the military.

These better people are attracted

to this concept of service.

But that's completely wrong.

What I learned was that it's the environment,

and if you get the environment right,

every single one of us has the capacity

to do these remarkable things,

and more importantly, others have that capacity too.

I've had the great honor of getting to meet

some of these, who we would call heroes,

who have put themselves and put their lives

at risk to save others,

and I asked them, "Why would you do it?

Why did you do it?"

And they all say the same thing:

"Because they would have done it for me."

It's this deep sense of trust and cooperation.

So trust and cooperation are really important here.

The problem with concepts of trust and cooperation

is that they are feelings, they are not instructions.

I can't simply say to you, "Trust me," and you will.

I can't simply instruct two people to cooperate, and they will.

It's not how it works. It's a feeling.

So where does that feeling come from?

If you go back 50,000 years

to the Paleolithic era,

to the early days of Homo sapiens,

what we find is that the world

was filled with danger,

all of these forces working very, very hard to kill us.

Nothing personal.

Whether it was the weather,

lack of resources,

maybe a saber-toothed tiger,

all of these things working

to reduce our lifespan.

And so we evolved into social animals,

where we lived together and worked together

in what I call a circle of safety, inside the tribe,

where we felt like we belonged.

And when we felt safe amongst our own,

the natural reaction was trust and cooperation.

There are inherent benefits to this.

It means I can fall asleep at night

and trust that someone from within my tribe will watch for danger.

If we don't trust each other, if I don't trust you,

that means you won't watch for danger.

Bad system of survival.

The modern day is exactly the same thing.

The world is filled with danger,

things that are trying to frustrate our lives

or reduce our success,

reduce our opportunity for success.

It could be the ups and downs in the economy,

the uncertainty of the stock market.

It could be a new technology that renders

your business model obsolete overnight.

Or it could be your competition

that is sometimes trying to kill you.

It's sometimes trying to put you out of business,

but at the very minimum

is working hard to frustrate your growth

and steal your business from you.

We have no control over these forces.

These are a constant,

and they're not going away.

The only variable are the conditions

inside the organization,

and that's where leadership matters,

because it's the leader that sets the tone.

When a leader makes the choice

to put the safety and lives

of the people inside the organization first,

to sacrifice their comforts and sacrifice

the tangible results, so that the people remain

and feel safe and feel like they belong,

remarkable things happen.

I was flying on a trip,

and I was witness to an incident

where a passenger attempted to board

before their number was called,

and I watched the gate agent

treat this man like he had broken the law,

like a criminal.

He was yelled at for attempting to board

one group too soon.

So I said something.

I said, "Why do you have treat us like cattle?

Why can't you treat us like human beings?"

And this is exactly what she said to me.

She said, "Sir, if I don't follow the rules,

I could get in trouble or lose my job."

All she was telling me

is that she doesn't feel safe.

All she was telling me is that

she doesn't trust her leaders.

The reason we like flying Southwest Airlines

is not because they necessarily hire better people.

It's because they don't fear their leaders.

You see, if the conditions are wrong,

we are forced to expend our own time and energy

to protect ourselves from each other,

and that inherently weakens the organization.

When we feel safe inside the organization,

we will naturally combine our talents

and our strengths and work tirelessly

to face the dangers outside

and seize the opportunities.

The closest analogy I can give

to what a great leader is, is like being a parent.

If you think about what being a great parent is,

what do you want? What makes a great parent?

We want to give our child opportunities,

education, discipline them when necessary,

all so that they can grow up and achieve more

than we could for ourselves.

Great leaders want exactly the same thing.

They want to provide their people opportunity,

education, discipline when necessary,

build their self-confidence, give them the opportunity to try and fail,

all so that they could achieve more

than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

Charlie Kim, who's the CEO of a company called Next Jump

in New York City, a tech company,

he makes the point that

if you had hard times in your family,

would you ever consider laying off one of your children?

We would never do it.

Then why do we consider laying off people

inside our organization?

Charlie implemented a policy

of lifetime employment.

If you get a job at Next Jump,

you cannot get fired for performance issues.

In fact, if you have issues,

they will coach you and they will give you support,

just like we would with one of our children

who happens to come home with a C from school.

It's the complete opposite.

This is the reason so many people

have such a visceral hatred, anger,

at some of these banking CEOs

with their disproportionate salaries and bonus structures.

It's not the numbers.

It's that they have violated the very definition of leadership.

They have violated this deep-seated social contract.

We know that they allowed their people

to be sacrificed so they could protect their own interests,

or worse, they sacrificed their people

to protect their own interests.

This is what so offends us, not the numbers.

Would anybody be offended if we gave

a $150 million bonus to Gandhi?

How about a $250 million bonus to Mother Teresa?

Do we have an issue with that? None at all.

None at all.

Great leaders would never sacrifice

the people to save the numbers.

They would sooner sacrifice the numbers

to save the people.

Bob Chapman, who runs

a large manufacturing company in the Midwest

called Barry-Wehmiller,

in 2008 was hit very hard by the recession,

and they lost 30 percent of their orders overnight.

Now in a large manufacturing company,

this is a big deal,

and they could no longer afford their labor pool.

They needed to save 10 million dollars,

so, like so many companies today,

the board got together and discussed layoffs.

And Bob refused.

You see, Bob doesn't believe in head counts.

Bob believes in heart counts,

and it's much more difficult to simply reduce

the heart count.

And so they came up with a furlough program.

Every employee, from secretary to CEO,

was required to take four weeks of unpaid vacation.

They could take it any time they wanted,

and they did not have to take it consecutively.

But it was how Bob announced the program

that mattered so much.

He said, it's better that we should all suffer a little

than any of us should have to suffer a lot,

and morale went up.

They saved 20 million dollars,

and most importantly, as would be expected,

when the people feel safe and protected by the leadership in the organization,

the natural reaction is to trust and cooperate.

And quite spontaneously, nobody expected,

people started trading with each other.

Those who could afford it more

would trade with those who could afford it less.

People would take five weeks

so that somebody else only had to take three.

Leadership is a choice. It is not a rank.

I know many people at the seniormost

levels of organizations

who are absolutely not leaders.

They are authorities, and we do what they say

because they have authority over us,

but we would not follow them.

And I know many people

who are at the bottoms of organizations

who have no authority

and they are absolutely leaders,

and this is because they have chosen to look after

the person to the left of them,

and they have chosen to look after

the person to the right of them.

This is what a leader is.

I heard a story

of some Marines

who were out in theater,

and as is the Marine custom,

the officer ate last,

and he let his men eat first,

and when they were done,

there was no food left for him.

And when they went back out in the field,

his men brought him some of their food

so that he may eat,

because that's what happens.

We call them leaders because they go first.

We call them leaders because they take the risk

before anybody else does.

We call them leaders because they will choose

to sacrifice so that their people

may be safe and protected

and so their people may gain,

and when we do, the natural response

is that our people will sacrifice for us.

They will give us their blood and sweat and tears

to see that their leader's vision comes to life,

and when we ask them, "Why would you do that?

Why would you give your blood and sweat and tears

for that person?" they all say the same thing:

"Because they would have done it for me."

And isn't that the organization

we would all like to work in?

Thank you very much.

Thank you. (Applause)

Thank you. (Applause)