At Amsterdam Business Forum, leadership thinker and bestselling author Simon Sinek gave a masterclass in presence. In conversation with moderator Ikenna Azuike, he explored trust, burnout, friendship and the next generation at work, and showed how you can turn those themes into everyday leadership habits.
“Optimism is the undying belief that the future is bright. But it is not naïve. It can accept darkness in the now.”
We’ve summarised 80 minutes on stage into 5 core insights. Let’s go.
Simon confessed that at one point, while delivering his well-known Start with Why speech, he caught himself thinking about his shopping list. The work hadn’t changed. But the meaning had drained away.
His solution? Shake things up, inject challenge, and put purpose back at the centre.
“Every time things got good, I sabotaged myself. Just to challenge myself.”
Key takeaway: if you feel yourself going flat, don’t just push harder. Change the conditions so your work carries meaning again.
For Simon, “vulnerability” isn’t the right word. He prefers “availability.” Being available to admit mistakes. To ask for help. To say “I don’t know” when you don’t know. That’s where trust begins.
Often, we don’t call friends because we fear intruding or taking too much time. To fix that, Simon and a close friend made a pact: whenever one of them needs to talk, they ask, “Do you have eight minutes?” Everyone has eight minutes. That small shift made reaching out easier. And built deeper trust.
And what works in friendships works in leadership too. In teams built on trust, there’s space for struggle, for celebration, and for showing up as you are. It starts with your availability as a leader, and with your courage to ask for help.
As Simon puts it:
“We build trust by asking for help.”
Key takeaway: don’t just offer support. Ask for it. And remember, everyone has eight minutes.
A young employee once told Simon: “Pay me more and you’ll see what I can do.” It sounded like entitlement. But he argues it’s a rational response to a system that offers little loyalty in return.
“They’ve grown up in a world that demands loyalty but offers none… they think they might as well cash in early.”
Key takeaway: when you see behaviour you don’t like, pause before you judge. Ask where it comes from. Often, it’s not arrogance, but a survival strategy.
Real optimism isn’t plastering on a smile. It’s holding on to the belief that the future can be better, even when the present is dark. And it’s fuelled by the people around you. “Courage doesn’t come from within. It comes from people around you who say: I’ve got you.”
Key takeaway: optimism is a discipline. Lead with facts and hope. And surround yourself with people who give you courage when yours runs out.
We cancel on friends because “they’ll understand.” But according to Simon, friendship is the support system we need most.
“Friendship is the ultimate biohack… and very few of us are actually good at being friends.”
But it’s more than showing up. It’s about sincerity. In leadership too, trust isn’t built by polished words but by intent. An apology or a promise only lands if you mean it. As Simon puts it: it’s not about saying the perfect thing, it’s about knowing why you’re saying it.
Key takeaway: friendship is not a soft skill. It’s the emotional infrastructure of great leadership.
Insights are only powerful if you live them. When you turn these lessons into action, leadership becomes more than a role. It becomes a force for change.
So, lead with more meaning. Build deeper trust. Choose care over control. And make space for others—not just in your calendar, but in your leadership.
Because this kind of leadership doesn’t only change teams. It shapes culture. It transforms companies. And it inspires people.
As Simon says:
"I’m trying to change the world we live in into the one that we imagine. But I know I cannot do it alone. I need you. My work is useless without you."