Life Lesson to Ponder | Leaders Eat Last

Aug 06, 2024

Hello Difference Makers!

We hope each and every one of you have had a week filled with bright moments and lessons to motivate you and encourage you to be the best leader for your team.

To start, we want you to take a brief moment to reflect on some of your previous bosses or leaders. While many of us have been blessed by great leaders and bosses who positively impacted our lives, we understand the other side of the coin exists, too. In reality, we are sure many of you have experienced a boss or manager that you did not enjoy working for.

So, what are some of the characteristics that we commonly hear challenging leaders portray? We frequently hear from our colleagues and students that they've experienced a boss who was...

√ Not genuine

√ Unpredictable

√ Controlling

√ Indecisive

√ Lazy

√ Easily distracted

√ Quick to become defensive

√ Known to micromanage

For those of you who are already leading a facility, wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall in your facility. How do you think your staff or team members would describe you?

Great leaders are priceless and genuinely become difference-makers wherever they lead.

Here are five simple principles or lessons about leadership from Simon Sinek's book Leader's Eat Last and how you can apply them to build and foster great relationships and build a strong team in the workplace.

Lesson 1: Be the last to profit.

This lesson can be applied in two different ways. First, as a business owner, you must support your staff with the proper pay. Therefore, you take a cut of the profits last. When you pay your team well, you are investing in them. In return, they will be more likely to invest in your purpose, passion, and vision. Second, strong leaders ensure the needs of their team are met before their own. When your team's needs are met, they will be more willing to endure the tough times.

Lesson 2: We all have an obsession to lead.

While leading looks different for everyone, we each have an innate desire to be entrusted with leadership and responsibility. As humans, we can only peak in an environment where we feel safe. That's why we value our friends, family, and associates. The people who are closest to us usually make us feel the safest. This leads to the lesson three.

Lesson 3: Leaders must create a safe environment for followers to flourish.

This is where I challenge you to make a mind shift. Instead of seeing yourself as a decision-maker, envision yourself as a culture creator and a systems designer. Fostering a safe environment for your staff is the most important thing one can do. Whether it is feeling safe to openly communicate or feeling secure to take risks, when your staff or team feels secure, it gives them the creative space to take risks, supports creativity and new ideas, and allows them to take responsibility in making improvements.

Lesson 4: Set the right culture and value your team & employees.

The culture you create in your facility will trickle over in how your team treats your residents, their families, and each other. As a facility administrator, value the ability to bond with people. Besides, at the end of the day, you are in the people business.

Master the art of connecting with people wherever you go. Dale Carnegie shares in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People that the most important word to every single person is their name. A simple gesture of using the names of your staff, residents, and their family members goes a long way.

Using one's name builds connection, earns trust, and makes people feel valued.

What can you continue to do to foster a positive culture amongst your team and facility? How can you get your team committed to your vision and what you believe in? When others know you stand on integrity and you've created a culture based on high values, they'll be willing to follow you to the "battlefield," or whatever challenges you may face throughout the day.

"Trust is the glue of life. It is the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It is the foundational principle that holds all relationships."- Steven Covey

Lesson 5: To Be a leader, you must earn people's trust.

Good leaders make one feel safe. When there is "danger," your staff must know you are willing to protect them because you've established a sincere relationship with them. You've chosen to invest in them by allowing them to join your team. Therefore, it must be evident that they know you believe in them too.

Author and motivational speaker, Simon Sinek, once spoke to General Flynn and asked him, "What makes the Marines so great?"

His response was, "Officers eat last." He added, "If you compare that to the business world, it is totally opposite. In the military, we give medals to people who sacrifice themselves so others may gain. In the business world, we give bonuses to people so the owner or bosses gain. " The military takes care of their people first. In other words, we make sure our team eats first, even if it means we eat less."

Your team wants you to know you are willing to join them on the "battlefield" and fight for the group's good.

Simon Sinek's story continues.

Following his conversation with General Flynn, Simon was invited to Afghanistan to observe the duties of the Marines firsthand.

He arrived in a military helicopter that did not have the ability to defend itself. To his surprise as they were landing, they were met with 3 rockets which hit 100 yards away from the nose of the helicopter. Simon noted everyone was oddly relaxed, so he remained calm in the moment, but later found himself in a panicked state of mind.

You see, after he went on an airdrop mission to drop supplies down to villages below, his mission was over, and he was scheduled to head home.

Five minutes before take off, he and two other members were asked to get off to make space for an injured soldier to fly to get help in Germany.

While he was honored to give the injured soldier his space, he learned the next opportunity to leave was four days later.

That is when the panic took over his logical thoughts. He laid in bed that night, consumed by fear and fearful there would be another rocket attack.

He felt truly hopeless and guilty. You see, he is known as "the guy who talks about finding a purpose." So, what did he do? He created a purpose for being there, surrendered, and gave up feeling powerless and stuck.

Have you thought about your purpose as a facility administrator, or as Simon Sinek calls it, your WHY?

At that moment, he noted an intense calm came over him, and his fears turned to excitement. He was going to volunteer and serve others by sweeping the floors, carrying boxes, and offering to speak to the individuals at the base. He wanted to be there to serve.

He thought to himself, "The greatest service is to serve those who serve others."

I believe as an administrator, you do just that. You have the honor of serving others on your team, whether it is your caregivers, dining room manager, front desk staff, social workers, administrative assistant or social director, every single individual in your facility serves your residents and their families.

Minutes later, an officer came to the room and said a flight suddenly became available because a fallen soldier needed a flight home to his final resting place. He reflected on how he sobbed tears as he saluted the casket as it was loaded onto the helicopter. On the flight to Germany, he noted how somber everyone was on board. Nobody spoke. Not once.

The energy on his second flight was a bit different. This time, a doctor was on board, tending to a patient in a medicated coma. After a while, he approached the doctor and asked him,

"Are these missions different than being a doctor back at home?"

The doctor replied, "Yes, the ER is filled with drunks and idiots, but there are none here. The honor I get here does not equate to an entire career at home."

Upon Simon's arrival home, he was asked to speak to a large group of generals and colonials about his visit to Afghanistan. As he recounted the story and the emotions he felt being a part of the fallen soldiers transport home, he lost it. He could not get his words out.

In a moment of sadness, he was amazed at what happened next. Normally, when someone cries, people say, "It's ok. Don't worry. You don't have to do it." Instead, Simon heard a general yell out to him "Go on. We are with you."

Simon was in awe at the powerful message behind this comment.

This shows the power of community, friendship, and a strong culture. Military members often share a unique bond and love for one another. Many even call themselves brothers and sisters.

As a leader, you have the power to create a community and culture based on trust where individuals feel safe and can thrive. Yes, you and your team will have good and rough days, but creating solid connections brings people together during difficult times rather than pulling them apart.

Your staff and residents count on you because it makes a difference to them. Are you willing to serve your team so they can serve others even if it means "eating last?"

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Life Lesson to Ponder | Leaders Eat Last

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