The following contains excerpts from the book, Leaders Eat Last (Simon Sinek).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we believe that music is more than sound. It is relationships. Relationships, by extension, include the subject of leadership. There are good examples of leadership and poor examples of leadership all around us. The service-oriented model of leadership is of the greatest importance, and needful in a society that seems to have become more interested in self-serving than leading effectively.
We hope to inspire, through teaching, coaching, and training students in our music school in Odessa, Texas, the values of service-based relationships and community engagement that makes a difference well into the future.
“Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown. They rush toward the danger. They put their own interest aside to protect us or to pull us into the future. Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what is ours. And they would never sacrifice what is ours to save what is theirs. This is what it means to be a leader. It means they choose to go first into danger, headfirst toward the unknown. And when we feel sure they will keep us safe, we will march behind them and work tirelessly to see their visions come to life and proudly call ourselves their followers.”
“Exceptional organizations all have cultures in which the leaders provide cover from above and the people on the ground look out for each other. This is the reason they are willing to push hard and take the kinds of risks they do. And the way any organization can achieve this is with empathy.”
“If certain conditions are met and the people inside an organization feel safe among each other, they will work together to achieve things none of them could have ever achieved alone. The result is that their organization towers over their competitors.”
“To see money as subordinate to people and not the other way around is fundamental to creating a culture in which the people naturally pull together to advance the business…It is not the genius at the top giving directions that makes people great. It is great people that make the guy at the top look like a genius.”
“It is easy to know when we are in the Circle of Safety because we can feel it. We feel valued by our colleagues and we feel cared for by our superiors. We become absolutely confident that the leaders of the organization and all those with whom we work are there for us and will do what they can to help us succeed. We become members of the group. We feel like we belong. When we believe that those inside our group, those inside the Circle, will look out for us, it creates an environment for the free exchange of information and effective communication. This is fundamental to driving innovation, preventing problems from escalating and making organization better equipped to defend themselves from the outside dangers and to seize opportunities.”
“A supportive and well-managed work environment is good for one’s health. Those who feel they have more control, who feel empowered to make decisions instead of waiting for approval, suffer less stress. Those only doing as they are told, always forced to follow the rules, are the ones who suffer the most.”
It is our goal in our music school in Odessa, Texas to make the student feel comfortable in the learning environment, as well as empowered to grow to their fullest potential. We strive to see the rich potential in each student and want them to feel valued as individuals.
The author discusses four chemicals released in our bodies, which have different results in our behavior: Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin
“Two chemicals – endorphins and dopamine – are the reason that we are driven to hunt, gather and achieve…Endorphins mask pain…often released in response to stress or fear, they mask physical pain with pleasure…it has to do with survival…Dopamine is the reason for the good feeling we get when we find something we’re looking for or do something that needs to get done. It is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction after we’ve finished an important task, completed a project, reached a goal.”
Serotonin is ‘the leadership chemical’. “As social animals, we more than want the approval of those in our tribe, we need it. It really matters. We all want to feel valuable for the effort we put forth for the good of others in the group or the group itself. If we could get that feeling alone, then we wouldn’t have awards ceremonies, company recognition programs or graduation ceremonies.”
“Oxytocin is most people’s favorite chemical. It’s the feeling of friendship, love or deep trust.”
“You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time.” (Stephen Colbert)
“Cortisol is responsible for the stress and anxiety we experience when something goes bump in the night. It is the first level of our fight-or-flight response…Cortisol is not supposed to stay in our systems; it is supposed to fire off when we sense a threat and then leave when the threat has passed. And for good reason. The stress on our bodies is serious. The manner in which it reconfigures our internal systems can cause lasting damage if we have to live in a perpetual state of fear or anxiety.”
“Cortisol actually inhibits the release of oxytocin, the chemical responsible for empathy.”
“Whereas oxytocin boosts our immune system, cortisol compromises it…A strong organizational culture is good for our health. The environment in which we work, and the way we interact with one another, really matters.”
Even though students will face times of challenge and stress, whether on stage or under creative deadlines, we endeavor to give them the core conditioning and training that allows them to face these challenges successfully.
“When the time is taken to build proper relationships and when leaders choose to put their people before their numbers, when we can actually feel a sense of trust for each other, the oxytocin released in our bodies can reverse many of the negative effects of operating in a high-stress, cortisol-soaked environment. In other words, it’s not the nature of the work we do or the number of hours we work that will help us reduce stress and achieve work-life balance; it’s increased amounts of oxytocin and serotonin. Serotonin boosts our self-confidence and inspires us to help those who work for us and make proud those for whom we work. Oxytocin relieves stress, increases our interest in out work and improves our cognitive abilities, making us better able to solve complex problems. It boosts our immune systems, lowers blood pressure, increases our libido and actually lessens our cravings and addictions. And best of all, it inspires up to work together.
One of the most important distinctions in our music school in Odessa, Texas to other music studios is our emphasis on group participation, otherwise known as ensembles. Our belief that music is, in essence, relationships is exhibited through learning how to make music together.
“Leaders are the ones who are willing to give up something of their own for us. Their time, their energy, their money, maybe even the food off their plate. When it matters, leaders choose to eat last…What makes a good leader is that they eschew the spotlight in favor of spending time and energy to do what they need to do to support and protect their people. And when we feel the Circle of Safety around us, we offer our blood and sweat and tears and do everything we can to see our leader’s vision come to life. The only thing our leaders ever need to do is remember whom they serve and it will be our honor and pleasure to serve them back.”
“The true social benefit of trust must be reciprocal…It’s all fine and good for a leader to expect the people to trust them, but if the leader doesn’t trust the people, the system will fail. For trust to serve the individuals and the group, it must be shared. The responsibility of leaders is to teach their people the rules, train them to gain competency and build their confidence. At that point, leadership must step back and trust that their people know what they are doing and will do what needs to be done…We don’t trust rules, we trust people…Courage comes from above. Our confidence to do what’s right is determined by how trusted we feel by our leaders.”
At our music school in Odessa, Texas we value the establishment of trust and community. Without trust nothing can be accomplished. We endeavor to foster trusting relationships among parents, students, and colleagues as we, together, build a wholesome artistic community.