Leadership isn’t something interesting until you’ve seen it done well first-hand. Leaders are not the same as managers or bosses. Leaders inspire action. Simon Sinek has written a multitude of amazing books on what it takes to be a leader in the real world.
The most effective leader I’ve ever known (and the sole reason great leadership is one of my life goals) is Mark Milecki. Mark was my General Manager at the Cheesecake Factory. And although we were just working with burgers and fries, he taught me how to take care of people, solve problems, and lead by creating leaders. We did an amazing podcast (#13 – Leadership, Done Right) on his climb of the ladder from busser to top-level GM. We also discuss his son’s battle against a rare form of leukemia.
In a nutshell, a leader must:
• listen to everyone, learn about everyone • make everyone feel valued, but hold everyone accountable • take responsibility for their own actions as well as their followers actions • be willing to do the work that they request of their followers • inspire others to be independent
This blog post is dedicated to the Mileckis.