Simon Sinek is best known for his work on leadership and inspiring others to find purpose in what they do. Originally from England, he grew up in places like Johannesburg, London, and Hong Kong before settling in the U.S. After studying cultural anthropology at Brandeis University, Simon started his career in advertising but quickly shifted to building his own business. His TED Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, became a viral sensation, helping him become one of the most influential voices in leadership. He’s written several bestsellers, including Start with Why and The Infinite Game, exploring what it takes to lead effectively and create lasting impact.
He’s passionate about helping businesses foster trust and inspire teams to succeed, and his work continues to resonate with leaders worldwide. Through his work, Sinek advocates for a shift in how businesses evaluate and promote leaders, emphasizing the need to consider trust and character alongside performance metrics. This perspective has contributed to his reputation as a thought leader in organizational culture and leadership development.
Simon Sinek highlights the critical importance of trust in leadership, often using his work with the Navy SEALs to illustrate the point. In one of his most well-known talks, he shares a graph that compares performance and trust. While a high-performing, high-trust individual is ideal, Sinek notes that many businesses make the mistake of elevating high performers who lack trust—people he calls “toxic.” These leaders may achieve strong results but at the cost of team morale and long-term stability.
Drawing from the Navy SEALs’ experience, Sinek explains that they value trust over performance when building elite teams. The SEALs would rather have a medium or low performer with high trust than a high performer who lacks it. This principle translates well to the business world. Leadership goes beyond hitting performance targets; it involves fostering an environment based on trust, empathy, and collaboration.
Companies must recognize that toxic leaders aren’t worth the cost to team health and retention, no matter how well they perform. Prioritizing trust, in addition to performance, helps build a culture that promotes collaboration, growth, retention, and long-term success.
Many businesses inadvertently promote toxic leaders by prioritizing performance over trust. High performers often attract attention for meeting targets or driving results, but what happens when these individuals lack trust? The Navy SEALs learned that trust is just as important—if not more—than performance. When selecting members for elite teams, they found that high performers with low trust are toxic to the team. These individuals may produce remarkable results, but their harmful behavior can significantly harm team dynamics and morale.
Companies have countless metrics to measure performance, but trust rarely gets the same attention. This imbalance may lead to the rise of toxic leaders who deliver short-term gains but leave a wake of long-term damage. Leadership requires more than hitting performance goals; it demands trustworthiness, collaboration, and the ability to foster a positive environment, similar to design teams.
The good news? It’s easy to spot toxic leaders. If you ask a team, “Who’s the one causing problems?” they’ll usually all point to the same person. Conversely, the person they trust the most—the one who’s reliable and always has their back—isn’t necessarily the highest performer but is often the best team player.
Prioritizing trust, in addition to performance, helps foster a culture that promotes collaboration, growth, and long-term success. Companies must recognize that toxic leaders aren’t worth the cost to team health and retention, no matter how well they perform.
