BRG Director Matthew McSheaffrey and Alex Lerner, a partner at Stewarts, explore key insights from Simon Sinek’s influential books Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last, discussing the power of understanding one’s “why,” leadership as a service, and the importance of creating a “circle of safety” that fosters innovation and team growth. They also reflect on Sinek’s “Why, How, What” framework, the value of mentorship, the impact of influential mentors throughout their careers, key turning points in their professional paths, and the importance of developing self-confidence to continue moving forward.

Selected Transcript Summary

[00:00] Matthew and Alex introduce themselves and discuss their professional backgrounds and personal connections. Matthew highlights his experience in litigation and arbitration at BRG. Alex shares his journey to partnership at Stewarts and his focus on high-value financial services litigation and particularly group litigation. 

[2:57] They introduce the topics of leadership and mentorship, focusing on how leadership roles evolve over time. Both reflect on personal experiences transitioning from individual contributors to team leaders. 

[4:40] Matthew and Alex introduce Start with Why as the foundation for their discussion. Alex summarizes the “Golden Circle” concept: why (purpose), how (process), and what (product). Alex discusses the impact of Start with Why on his leadership style, highlighting the need for leaders to inspire both clients and internal teams by articulating their mission clearly. 

[9:40] Alex introduces Leaders Eat Last, discussing leadership as a service and the concept of creating a “circle of safety” for teams to thrive and specialize without fear. 

[13:07] Matthew and Alex agree on the importance of allowing team members room to make mistake early on to build confidence and skill. They discuss how creating safety and trust accelerates individual and team growth. 

[15:19] Alex reflects on which parts of Sinek’s books resonate most with him, including the focus on introspection, service-oriented leadership, and building empowered teams that act independently but cohesively. 

[18:59] Alex discusses his personal journey in trying to define his “why,” centering around working for justice through collective redress.  

“The working for justice or access to justice is the why, the collective redress is the what—although that is a bit more debatable—and instructing stewards would be the how,” says Alex.  

[21:29] Matthew and Alex agree that finding a “why” is challenging but important to building resilient, successful teams. They note that while not all leaders have a “why,” working under leaders who do is particularly inspiring. 

[23:21] Matthew reflects on the role of mentors in his career and how their examples of leadership, quality, and work-life balance have shaped his development. 

[26:35] Matthew discusses how working closely with Danny Ryan, a BRG managing director and head of the firm’s London office, influenced his own leadership approach, emphasizing trust, high standards, and accountability within teams.  

Alex shares his experiences learning from multiple mentors, highlighting the value of autonomy, safe spaces to grow, and learning law firm dynamics and leadership behaviors. 

[34:35] Alex offers advice to mentees: find your “why” early, balance hard work with smart work, and find the right mix of confidence without arrogance to become a good team player and future leader.