The Safety We Lead: Building Trust in Uncertain Times

Inspiration from Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

By Joe Glaser

In leadership, especially in high-pressure industries like retail, I’ve found that the most important work doesn’t show up on a balance sheet—it shows up in how safe your people feel. Not physically safe, although that matters, too. I mean emotionally safe. Safe to speak up. Safe to fall short. Safe to stretch.

After reading Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, I realized that so many of the lessons I’ve learned over 26 years in leadership have a biological, even primal, foundation. Sinek puts language and science around something that, in my heart, I’ve always known to be true: people will only bring their best when they know their leader will protect them—even when everything around them is uncertain.

The Circle of Safety Isn’t a Perk—It’s a Promise

Sinek talks about the “Circle of Safety”—a space leaders create where their people are protected from internal politics, backstabbing, blame games, or fear-based cultures. That hit home for me.

There were times when I watched good employees shut down, not because they lacked talent, but because they were constantly looking over their shoulder. The strongest leaders I’ve worked with (and tried to be) were the ones who made it clear: “I’ve got you. Do your job. I’ll handle the rest.”

In retail, that might mean defending a store manager’s decision to corporate, even if it’s not perfect. Or absorbing the heat from a customer escalation so your frontline team doesn’t carry the stress alone. When your people know you won’t throw them under the bus, they stop playing it safe and start playing to win.

Leadership Chemistry: Cortisol vs. Oxytocin

One of the most eye-opening parts of the book was Sinek’s explanation of leadership and brain chemistry. Stress, driven by cortisol, thrives in toxic environments. Trust and connection, powered by oxytocin, thrive in safe ones.

I’ve seen both.

During one holiday season, we had an understaffed store, a broken POS system, and long lines that would’ve tested a saint. I remember choosing to walk the floor with my team, pitch in at the registers, and bring humor and perspective. That wasn’t heroics—it was presence. I watched the tension lift off their shoulders because they knew they weren’t alone.

That’s what good leadership does. It calms the system. It invites the team out of fight-or-flight and into collaboration and trust.

Eating Last Is a Mindset, Not a Moment

The title of the book is inspired by military leadership, where officers eat after their troops. It’s not just symbolic—it’s structural. In business, “eating last” looks like making sure your team has what they need before you check your inbox. It means taking responsibility when a system fails, even if you didn’t personally build it.

It also means giving recognition freely, but accepting accountability personally. It’s not martyrdom—it’s maturity.

I’ve always believed that my job as a leader is to make it easier for my people to do their jobs. That mindset doesn’t just improve performance—it builds loyalty that can’t be bought.

Trust Is a Byproduct of Repeated Safety

Sinek makes it clear: trust isn’t earned in a single grand gesture. It’s built one safe interaction at a time.

That shows up in radical candor—giving honest feedback and showing your people you care deeply. It shows up when you admit you don’t have all the answers but you’re willing to figure them out together. It shows up when you show consistency—especially when it’s inconvenient.

People don’t need perfect leaders. They need present ones. Ones who show up, who listen, who fight for their team when it matters most.

Final Thought

If you’re leading a team right now, especially through uncertainty, your presence, your protection, and your priorities matter more than ever.

Keep expanding the Circle of Safety. Your people are watching—and following.