As the book title sounds, "Leaders Eat Last" is a book on leadership. I read this book as it was recommended by several security awareness officers I know. Instead of a book on data driven management, the book focuses on the human element of leading. The book is fascinating as Simon Sinek goes into the biology of what drives people. He starts with the quote "Stress and anxiety at work have less to do with the work we do and more to do with weak management and leadership". He then goes into the feeling of safety and how it drives people.
People have biologically developed to operate best when they feel protected by what Simon calls the Circle of Safety. He then goes into several studies that demonstrate these points. He then goes into biology of what makes you and I feel safe/happy: the four chemicals endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Throughout the rest of the book he then links back to these four driving chemicals and the role leadership plays in them. Ultimately I really enjoyed the book. I'm more of a human focused person myself and have always found it hard to lead purely from data. I've seen first hand the power that data can provide when growing and managing an organization, but as Simon Sinek details in the book, its ultimately people that make success happen.
While this book does not directly apply to leading a security awareness program, many of the lessons I learned helped to build on what I already learned, or added additional ideas on how to engage and lead people. Ultimately if you take care of your people and engage them at an emotional level, you not only create a better environment for all, but success will follow.
