When it comes to leadership in business, there are those out there who want to overcomplicate the process. We look at the lives of fancy CEOs or hotshots who have raced to the top, trying to analyze their education and degrees or the apps and organizational systems they use that must make all the difference.
But true leadership—we already know what that is. True leadership is seeing people, meeting them where they are, making good choices and leading by example. Recently, Dr. Chris Mullen described leadership as ten small habits to be implemented every day, “especially when no one is watching,” he says.
Here are Mullen’s habits for great leadership success:
- Say thank you: after big wins and everyday efforts.
- Listen with full attention.
- Admit when you’re wrong.
- Ask great questions.
- Check in instead of checking up.
- Stay curious longer, even in uncomfortable conversations.
- Celebrate others publicly.
- Follow through on promises, big and small.
- Protect the energy of the team.
- Model resilience in hard times.
These choices, Mullen says, are the framework of leadership—not the big moments seen from the top, but the repeating decisions to be invested, interested, and involved. That is what makes a good leader in any business—and certainly in the restaurant industry.
Richard Weil, principal and owner of National Restaurant Consultants, has made a career of studying leaders, from the worst to the greatest. The food service and hospitality industry has multiples examples of all types of leaders. Weil notes, “For many years, leadership in our industry was often interpreted with harshness as the norm. With time, standards have evolved, thankfully for the better.”
The examples that Dr. Mullen’s describes are the cornerstones to effective leadership. For the restaurant industry, Weil includes an additional habit to implement. “I would like to add one more key component of leadership that I learned from my great mentor, Mr. Don Smith. It’s something he coined as ‘howdy rounds.’ It’s related to checking in, but much deeper: true, genuine hellos and ‘how are you doing?’ with all staff members and customers alike. Take these principles and embrace them.”
Our restaurant consultants believe that good businesses are created from consistent, smart decision-making, from top to bottom. With our operations analysis, we look for these leadership qualities and efficiencies in every facet of your restaurant.