When the people have to manage dangers from Meaning Factcheck Usage

Context

Sinek uses this to illustrate his main thesis: the primary job of a leader is to create a “Circle of Safety” for their team. When that circle is broken—when people feel unsafe from internal threats like backstabbing or unfair treatment—the entire organization’s defensive posture crumbles. It’s a biological argument applied to business.

Usage Examples

So, who needs to hear this? Honestly, anyone in a position to influence culture.

• For a CEO noticing siloed departments and internal blame games, this quote is a wake-up call to fix the internal environment before the next quarterly report reveals lost market share.
• For a Team Lead dealing with gossip and low morale, it’s a powerful way to say, “Our infighting is the real enemy, not the other team down the hall.”
• For an HR Professional advocating for better conflict resolution policies, it frames a healthy culture not as a “nice-to-have” but as a strategic imperative for resilience.

To whom it appeals?

Share This Quote Image & Motivate

Common questions

Question: What exactly qualifies as an “internal danger”?
Answer: It’s anything that makes an employee feel psychologically unsafe. Think toxic politics, unfair favoritism, public shaming, leaders who throw their team under the bus, or a culture of relentless blame.

Question: Can’t a little internal competition be healthy?
Answer: There’s a huge difference between competition and combat. Healthy competition is about outperforming benchmarks for a shared goal. Unhealthy combat is about undermining colleagues for personal gain. The first drives results; the second destroys trust and, eventually, results.

Question: How do you stop this from happening?
Answer: It starts at the top. Leaders must actively build trust, foster extreme candor with safety, and consistently protect the team from internal political nonsense. They have to be the buffer. They have to eat last.