Big Think
@bigthink·8.8M subscribers·10.1K videos
Lesson 5: The anthropological reason we have leaders | Simon Sinek
Posted
February 19, 2026
Likes
1
February 19, 2026
1
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
4:03Now PlayingLeaders didn’t always wear suits, but they have always been important. In prehistoric times, the leader kept the tribe from brawling over dinner, and in return, they got first crack at the grub. In the millennia since, the dress code has changed, but the expectations have not. We’re willing to cede certain perks to leaders so long as they fulfill their end of the bargain: Step up when it matters and protect the group.
In this video lesson, leadership consultant Simon Sinek explores the evolution of organizational hierarchy and how we can use it to understand the role of leadership today.
© Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go Deeper with Big Think:
►Become a Big Think Youtube Member
Get exclusive classes and early, adfree access to new releases without leaving Youtube.
►Become a Big Think Web Member
Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more.
►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack
Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Simon Sinek:
Simon O. Sinek is an author best known for popularizing the concept of "the golden circle" and to "Start With Why," described by TED as "a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"'. He joined the RAND Corporation in 2010 as an adjunct staff member, where he advises on matters of military innovation and planning. His first TEDx Talk on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" is the 3rd most viewed video on TED.com. His 2009 book on the same subject, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009) delves into what he says is a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision-making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others.
He has commented for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, FastCompany, CMO Magazine, NPR, and BusinessWeek, and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, BrandWeek, and IncBizNet.
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
