Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t

Captain Mike Drowley, otherwise known as “Johnny Bravo,” is a prime example of someone employing empathy-based leadership. Simon Sinek details a dangerous mission in which Drowley dropped below a thick layer of clouds in Afghanistan so as to provide combat support to ground troops. Drowley wasn’t ordered to perform this maneuver, but he knew it was the right call. There was no tangible incentive in play, just a drive to serve and sacrifice, even at the risk of his own life. His efforts paid off as no American lives were lost during the mission. More than any technology or training, Drowley credits empathy—knowing full well that his fellow soldiers would protect him in turn—as the core of his leadership style (a common approach in the military). Despite the fact that the military’s stakes are often higher than in corporate or organizational settings, the principle at play is that exceptional organizations are characterized by leaders who “provide cover from above and the people on the ground look out for each other” (9).

Bob Chapman is the former CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a collection of companies that supply manufacturing services and technologies on a global scale. Sinek frames Chapman’s leadership