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11 Uncommon Leadership Lessons for Food and Drink founders (… you’ll NEVER find these on an MBA).

11 Uncommon Leadership Lessons for Food and Drink founders (… you’ll NEVER find these on an MBA).

Dan Pope
November 17, 2023

Reading time: 5.45 minutes

Reading time if you’re hanging-out-your-arse: 20.45 mins

Let’s face it… you tucked into Thirsty-Thursdays last night…you’re hanging, you’re pretending to “work”, you’re craving a Maccies.

Go forth. Be Brave. Open thou Deliveroo App. Bring though a Double Sausage and Egg McMuff con 4 hash browns.

Let’s tuck into this week’s newsletter

Summer began to yawn and stretch and shut her eyes.

The last warm-glowing-golden embers of warmth danced and dizzed and fizzed and drooled over London.

The streets became flickering mosaics of yellow light and grey shade.

In the air, the howling bite wistfully wailed that cold black Winters were nigh

(f*ck me, Sorry…

HobKnobhead reporting for duty: trying to be a Shakespearian Sonnet-Slosh-pot)

Anyhoo, t’was in Soho.

Last Saturday. 4pm.

People eating, drinking, laughing, the clattering of knifes, forks, spoons, here, there, everywhere.

Rambunctious rabbles and garrulous gaggles of booze-quaffing ranting-n’-ravin’ and misbehavin’ flowed out the battle cruisers.

I was meeting a friend at new restaurant, Mountain.

Mountain is sister restaurant to BRAT. Like a Spoilt BRAT, I scoffed my way up the Mountain of Gluttony.

Glowing white plates whirled-whizzed through the room like shooting stars. Peoples eyes tracked down their plates like a ravenous air traffic controllers.

Waiters plonked down gastronomic glitter-bombs, customers devoured like 5 year olds opening Christmas present.

John Dory (the fish… not the plumber) swathed and sloshed in a rich, golden biscuity-butter sauce. Stiflingly-bannging. Tasted like the opulent spoils of El Dorado.

The fish melted into little peals of pearly-white soft like love handles in your mouth.

Pork Chop.

FUCKING SLAB OF FAB.

Le Swine was Le Finest thing on Le menu. Shrine to Pig. Mother Pork. Flavour-flecked-Fuck-Down massaged, mooched, meandered, melted my marrow into a state of nirvana.

The rice was a blanket of crispy, gnarly bits. Why are crispy bits always best?

Crispy wings, Crispy corners-of-a-crossiant, Crispy chips, Crispy Cookies. Crispy Cereal, Crispy toes (……… ok, ok….. easyyyyy nowww…. take a step back…. just revealed a fetish of mine!)

Dessert - Brace of Chocolate sorbet - little rich globes of joy - I scoffed them like a snooker pocket inhales the white ball.

As I slurped my espresso all the leadership lessons came to me.

Chefs are some of the BEST leaders.

David Ogilvy opens up his book, Confessions of an Advertising page. All his leadership came from a Kitchen in Paris.

All your competition read banal business books.

Start with WHY.

WHY START WITH WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? DON’T GET ME STARTED

Same inputs = same outputs = no edge.

Different inputs = different outputs = edge.

Edge = slip stream.

Strip stream = Escape Competition.

Here are all the Uncommon Leaderships from interviewing some of the best CHEFS.

1. Paul Ainsworth - listen here.

Owner of restaurant empire in Cornwall. Gordon Ramsay’s under study.

1. INSANE cultures are “Professional Fun”

Reminds of Planet Organic, founder Renée Elliot “Nothing ever gets done so have some fun”.

High Standards + High Fun = High Performing Cultures.

So so so so so many founders forget the fun part.

Remember to have fun.

2. “Very, very simple. Never Give In”.

Even when you don’t feel like it, keep digging and pushing.

Teams are inspired by watching their leader consistently show up.

Consistency compounds.

2.“Make It Happen, Make It Happen Together”

Paul’s mantra for team work. So many founder demand the “Make It Happen, but forget the Together bit”

3. “Why NOT YOU, Paul?”

Gordon Ramsay’s advice to Paul to get over imposter syndrome.

Next time you’re facing Imposter Syndrome, ask WHY NOT YOU?!

Reminds me of: If not YOU, then WHO?

James Cochran - listen here

4. The Art of Simplicity: what deadweight can you subtract from your business or life.

James Cochran made his restaurant 12.51 very complicated.

Long and ever-changing menus. Complicated ingredients. Complicated wine lists.

Then, James reduced his menu. Less is more. He became famous for the 5 Courses for £49.

Pretty much every super successful person I’ve spoken to on the pod knows SIMPLICITY WINS.

Julian Metcalfe, from Pret A Manger and ITSU. “COMPLEXITY IS EASY. SIMPLICITY IS HARD”.

Ask yourself these to simplify?

If you could only spend 2 hours on your business this week to move the needle, where would you spend it?
What 20% of your time drive 80% of the revenue?
What looks like an opportunity BUT is actually a distraction?
If you could only do ONE thing this week to move the needle what is it?

Focus.

Tommy Banks - listen here

Failed Cricketer. Almost died with disease. Hospitalised for 2 years.

Comes back swinging. Youngest Michelin Star Chef in the UK at 24. Great British Menu Winner Twice.

Hands down one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.

Read this other article I wrote about Tommy Banks.

5. “Create systems that facilitate magic you need a frightening amount of detail behind the scenes”

This has been the HARDEST lesson for me this year.

You’re only as good as your systems.

Systems facilitate magic.

I used to hate systems. Think it was naff boring goobledegoop. Systems are everything.

6. Tommy’s Principles of Great Leadership: Inspiration + Empathy = (Self) Discipline

A common leadership narrative: build discipline in teams, by demanding high standards, setting strict targets and KPIs.

This does work.

But,

Tommy’s narrative: Inspiration + Empathy ACTUALLY builds (Self) Discipline

Empathy builds (self) discipline in your team.

Empathy builds discipline

WOW. FUCKING WOW.

7. The Effect of being Idle is to Spiral” (downwards)

No matter what happens good, bad or ugly.

Just keep moving.

Keep showing up.

Leaders who prioritise action + execution win.

Greg Marchand - listen here

8. Hug The Cleaner: Great leadership is when NO ONE IS LOOKING.

I was waiting in Frenchie, Covent Garden for Greg Marchand to arrive to record the podcast.

The restaurant was empty.

Lights dimmed and totally vacant.

Except the cleaner was there sweeping away.

Greg walked in, he didn’t know I was there, I was around the side of the bar.

Greg gave the cleaner a HUGE hug and spoke to her for 5 minutes.

That’s leadership.

That’s leadership when no one’s looking.

9. Be the DNA Keeper: Why the Founder’s job is to feed the machine, employees feed the founder - read this newsletter for more reference.

10.The 51% Rule + The Eyes Never Lie: Danny Meyer’s Principle for Hiring Great, Loyal Talent.

Greg worked under the infamous Danny Meyer at Grammacy Tavern in NYC.

Under Danny, Greg learnt the foundations of building his restaurant empire FRENCHIE.

Danny: When hiring, look for 51 percenters.

Greg: “the eyes never lie, you’ll find your 51% whilst looking into peoples eyes”

What is a 51%er?

Danny Meyer: “To me, a 51 percenter has five core emotional skills. I’ve learned that we need to hire employees with these skills if we’re to be champions at the team sport of hospitality.

Optimistic warmth (genuine kindness, thoughtfulness, and a sense that the glass is always at least half full)
Intelligence (not just “smarts” but rather an insatiable curiosity to learn for the sake of learning)
Work ethic (a natural tendency to do something as well as it can possibly be done)
Empathy (an awareness of, care for, and connection to how others feel and how your actions make others feel)
Self-awareness and integrity (an understanding of what makes you tick and a natural inclination to be accountable for doing the right thing with honesty and superb judgment) - Danny Meyer

Growing this is so bloody difficult, I’d be so incredibly grateful if you could please forward the email on to a friend or someone who you think may enjoy it. Feel free to use the referral programme below

Popey xx

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