Small Business Leadership in a Nut Shell

Leadership Matters 10/1/2021

It’s been a stormy 18 months for sure.  Everyone has been affected by the pandemic in some way.  Businesses around the world are struggling to survive, and the CEOs’, owners, and operators are in uncertain waters. Just when you think you see light shining through the clouds, another variant pops up, another mandate comes down, another employee quits. The seas of business are choppy and the boats are listing. What we need is a steady hand that can guide us through this storm.  But where have all the truly great leaders gone? Has Covid shaken the business world so badly that the great ones have given up?  Has Covid fatigue set in, even for the boss?  Or have the challenges exposed the true weaknesses of those we thought were great?

Great Leadership

The best leaders empower their people to impact the business, and they listen when their people talk.  From the accounting clerk to the fry cook, and every level beyond, each employee in an organization can affect change when given the opportunity.  A great leader recognizes this fact, listens to their team with intent, and makes decisions that are in the best interest of the organization and it’s people.  Afterall, without those people, an organization no longer functions. A great leader remembers the "we" and steers away from the "me" in conversations. Credit and praise are given, responsibility is taken, and thoughts about the team are always of a positive nature. Great leaders understand how to maintain a healthy work environment, and encourage everyone to reset their mental "trash can" as often as they can. Even Roomba knows when to stop and clean the bin even when the job is only half done. If a leader can't follow these simple truths, they are not a healthy fit for most organizations. A CEO once told me he believes his #1 priority as a CEO was to protect the business from liability.  While that is a true concern for the C-suite execs around the world, i have to disagree.  The #1 priority a CEO or leader should have is protecting his people. Again, without people, the CEO won't have a business to lead.

On the other side of the coin, we’ve all experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly in regards to “the boss”. In the restaurant business, where I have camped out for the better part of 27 years, the “ugly” is the norm. This industry boasts the most under-developed talent pool in the known universe. True “training” is non-existent in most restaurants (with the exception of the Chik-fila drive through), even though managers throughout the industry beg to differ. Bosses tend to get promoted out of necessity when no one else is available for the position, often with a lack of leadership abilities and soft skills that would make them much more effective in the role. The training that these internal promotions receive is wholly inadequate, and almost immediately creates opportunities that inevitably cost the company people and money. Then those promoted individuals follow the same playbook and perpetuate the cycle over time.  Covid has created a perfect storm of this behavior in the restaurant business, and the worst is yet to come I'm afraid.  With commodities cost up 75%-100% year over year, customer traffic down, and employee retention and human capital at an all time low in the industry, most companies leadership is ill-equipped to handle the challenge of how to right the ship. Some say its an impossible task. Perhaps it seems impossible, but a great leader should be able to see through the here and now, make their people the #1 priority every day, and position their company for greater things as the world slowly returns to normal. 

So now what?

Let's face it, the world is broken. You can blame Covid, health care, politics, social media, or anything else that fits your own narrative. There are a million broken things to point out. No one can fix everything in one day. But if you stay down there below the line in the "blame game realm" instead of taking a breath and looking within the organization, you will never find the answers. The solution will ultimately lie within your people, and great leaders understand that fact. True leadership will always find a way to get to the other side. No matter the size or duration of the storm, true leadership will persevere and inspire a team to win in the end. It starts with the skills and passion of the people that are already there. They just need to be given the opportunity to shine through the clouds.  If you know a leader or manager that needs a friendly nudge in the right direction, give them this advice and then sit back and watch:

1. Be present and available for your team at every opportunity

2. Actively elicit feedback, then listen with intent

3. Invest in your people, and then protect that investment with actions and follow through

4. Thoroughly communicate the comprehensive vision, consistently focus on goals

5. Eliminate obstacles for your team and offer support

6. THEN LET THEM DO THEIR JOB!!!

Remember folks, we aren't the one trying to buld the rocket. We are simply leading those that do.  

Column by Dan McKeon, posted 10/1/2021

Dan McKeon is a Software and Operations Analyst for a regional restaurant chain out of Charlotte NC.  He has been an avid data enthusiast for over a decade, and joined the Info Hound Community in 2021. He has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years, and has worked in almost every position in the sector. He can be reached through his LinkedIn profile.