Thoughts on Leadership

It has been interesting this week to observe our trainers, particularly how they interact with our team members. Each trainer was hand picked to be a part of this group that is widely considered the “All Star Team” – they are the best of the best…but it is obvious that some of these leaders are having a greater impact than the rest of the group. What is it about this select few that has enabled them to separate from the pack? The answer, I believe, is that they have fully embraced Servant Leadership.

Servant leadership is about creating an environment that enables team members to perform their jobs to the best of their ability. Great leaders also have the gift of discernment between when a team member needs to be pushed or when it is time to rescue a team member that is overwhelmed and simply unable to keep up. This kind of leadership creates sustained, long term success.

The leaders who have not fully embraced servant leadership usually err in one of two directions. Either they take over entirely too soon so that the team member is unable to learn or gain valuable experience or they remove themselves almost entirely from the equation so that the team member is left to either “sink or swim”. In both of these circumstances, the leader had been unable to coach and effectively communicate with the team member in training.
The most effective leaders at this opening, and in general, are the ones who have been able to serve the team members by providing resources and creating an environment that produces the desired results.

153k

Grand Opening Day Sales: $51,171

2nd Day Sales: $49,140

3rd Day Sales: $53,211

Grand Opening Weekend Total: $153,000

Number of $5000+ hours: 8

Number of $2000+ hours in Drive Thru: 2

Tons of Chicken Sold: 4+

Wow. In my 4 years at Chick-fil-A, I have never experienced anything CLOSE to what the past 72 hours have been like!

The entire weekend was like a big party…everyone was just so excited that we were finally in Chicago! The Drive Thru line was literally ¼ mile long and the line to order inside extended to the end of our property. Our guests stood in line for 45 minutes JUST TO GET TO THE DOOR OF THE BUILDING!

Even the basic operational side of this weekend was incredible. Everyone's role was extrememly specialized. For example, we created a queuing system where guests could stand while their order was being prepared. There were two of us simply taking orders from the baggers to the end of the counter where there were two or three others whose sole responsibility was to call out names and deliver the appropriate meal to each guest.

We hooked up an ice dream machine to a generator outside so that we could pre-make milkshakes just to stay afloat. We had a trainer manning a booth outside whose only responsibility was to provide our Drive Thru guests with condiments. We had a team member would spend an entire shift simply emptying trash cans. It was fascinating to be a part of this process as it unfolded and evolved.

I will never forget being a part of this unbelievable, RECORD BREAKING, weekend!