It was around 2009 or 2010—the exact year is fuzzy, but the story remains clear. I was attending a Domino's Worldwide Rally in Las Vegas, a biennial event that brings together franchisees, operators, and corporate executives from around the globe. This particular rally stood out because of its keynote speaker. For a year or two, I had been sharing "Start with Why" with my team and class participants. Seeing and hearing the author on stage cemented the book's message for me. I realized I needed to change my communication style and start with "why."
For nearly 30 years, I've been part of the QSR (quick-service restaurant) industry, mostly with that "quaint little local pizza place," Domino's. (A King of Queens reference for those familiar with the show.) Many of my college fraternity brothers worked at the local store. About three weeks into my job there, the store manager showed me his bonus check. He was earning more in bonuses each year than I would with my civil engineering degree. Much to my parents' dismay, I dropped out of college and started slinging pizzas.
Right now, you're thinking, "Thanks for the 'everyman' beginning, but what am I supposed to learn from this? You said you're starting with 'why,' yet this clearly reads like your resume." Thanks for bringing that up. This is where my leadership journey began—not with a class or a singular event, but with a series of grotesquely funny moments that taught me, "I don't ever want to lead like that."
You see, most people want to be optimists. They want to be the cheerleader, the person who can give a speech that rallies the troops. Me? I see the flaws. I see the processes needed to correct them. When it comes to the many people I've reported to, I've learned something different. I've had bosses, managers, and leaders, yet at the end of each role, my most common thought is, "I don't ever want to lead like that."
I've worn many hats: the minimum wage employee, the 100-hours-a-week assistant, the never-first-place manager, the multi-unit manager who never reaps the benefits of a good team, the corporate schmuck, the guy in meetings and calls 40+ hours per week, the judge, jury, and executioner, the domestic zombie traveler, the remote leader, the "fake it 'til you make it" guy, and the disgruntled boss. I've been on dozens, if not hundreds, of project teams. I've seen nearly 2,000 teams perform at every possible level. What you'll see here is a collection of what I've learned from the best. I'd love to tell you these are all my original ideas, but like this first chapter, everything stems from a seed.
I was writing a book for closure called "Your Boss Hates You." I was tired. Though a pessimist, I was naïve. I thought people would generally do what's right. A series of life events led me to realize that many bosses just suck. I know at times I've been a good manager, a passable leader, and a bad boss. I feel like I had to learn leadership by observing what all the bad bosses did and then doing the opposite. Sure, there are books, but it can be difficult to translate them to the real world. This is my attempt to categorize those learnings and save you from years of neglect. It's an attempt to help, to give some insight. As a facilitator of DiSC for years, it's also a chance to prove that I'm right! If you know DiSC, you know my style. Good luck and enjoy.
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