Rhysand Has Been Eating Last Centuries (Simon Sinek 🤝 Sarah J. Maas)

Crossing the Realms puts Rhysand from Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses in his wingback chair with Simon Sinek's Leaders Eat Last. Andi and Teddi ask how far a leader should go to protect his people — and whether decades Under the Mountain is the answer.⚠️ SPOILERS: Moderate to heavy for A Court of Thorns and Roses seriesRhysand is the most powerful High Lord in Prythian, and he spends half a century letting Amarantha use him as her weapon so his people never have to know war exists. That's Simon Sinek's "leaders eat last" taken to its most brutal extreme — and Andi and Teddi are here for it. They walk through Sinek's full framework from Leaders Eat Last: Rhysand hand-picking his Inner Circle over centuries (that's oxytocin, not magic), building Velaris as the vision that makes every sacrifice mean something, and then trusting Cassian, Azriel, Morrigan, and Amren to run the whole thing without him for half a century. Rhysand has no purpose without his people — and he'd rather be Amarantha's nightmare for 49 years than let them find that out the hard way.⚔️ First time here? We don't gatekeep — follow Crossing the Realms wherever you listen.Leadership Books DiscussedLeaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon SinekLeadership Concepts DiscussedCircle of Safety (Simon Sinek) — the leader's primary job is creating an environment of trust and security for everyone, not just select peopleThe Alpha Sacrifices First (Simon Sinek) — the leader with the most power makes the first and greatest sacrifices for the groupOxytocin & Trust Chemicals (Simon Sinek) — long-lasting trust is built through time, vulnerability, and proximity, not instant gratificationAbstraction Kills (Simon Sinek) — the further removed you are from the people you lead, the easier it is to harm themTrust as Vulnerability (Simon Sinek) — "giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting they won't use it"Strong Leaders Build People Who Can Lead Without Them (Simon Sinek) — leadership is about building autonomy and competency, then stepping backVision Gives Sacrifice Meaning (Simon Sinek) — long-term vision is what makes the hard work of eating last sustainable and purposefulServant Leadership (referenced broadly through Sinek's framework)Fantasy Characters DiscussedRhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — High Lord of the Night Court; the episode's central character study. 49-year sacrifice under Amarantha, hand-built Inner Circle, teaches Feyre autonomyFeyre Archeron (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — used as the lens to contrast Rhysand and Tamlin's leadership styles; her arc from caged to autonomousTamlin (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — anti-Rhysand contrast; controls, cages, and withholds from Feyre; his court empties as a resultCassian (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — Inner Circle member, half-blood Illyrian, commander of armies; the post-sacrifice dinner table sceneAzriel (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — Inner Circle member, spymaster, half-blood Illyrian; forged bond with Rhysand from youthMorrigan (Mor) (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — Inner Circle member, rescued from the Court of Nightmares; rules both courtsAmren (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — Inner Circle member, ancient celestial being trapped in a Fae body; last resort and advisorLucien Vanserra (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — briefly referenced as Tamlin's one remaining ally who eventually leavesAmarantha (A Court of Thorns and Roses) — the tyrant whose court Rhysand sacrifices himself to for 49 years This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crossingrealms.substack.com