Leadership is a vital element in all human activity. Whether it’s the family, the working team, the congregation, the club, the political entity, etc., the strength of a social unit is greatly dependent on the quality of its leaders. Leaders offer their life knowledge to help us become better at what we do, and their vision can inspire us to go beyond what we think we are capable of. Leadership is not only provided by designated leaders; each of us has the power to lead through our example. Effective leadership is the make-or-break factor in every business.

In business, we often use sports metaphors to make certain points more vivid or understandable. We also talk about “war,” because a war metaphor emphasizes the strength of our commitment to success. In the USA’s past wars, “hot” or “cold,” we have been fortunate to have great leaders like Lincoln, Roosevelt, Truman, Nixon, Carter, Clinton and Bush; and someone who provided invaluable leadership during a very difficult time: Rudolph W. Guiliani. What do these leaders have in common? According to Rudy, outstanding leaders share:

Optimism — problems are “improvable”, solvable…
Courage —take risks; manage fear…
Preparation — thorough, relentless…
Communication — two-way flow; teaching/coaching...

Each of us likes to think that we can be a good leader. What is more important is whether the people we deal with believe that we are a good leader. Truman once said: “If you have the answer and no one wants to listen to you, then you might as well not have the answer.” I contend that if you manifest the foregoing qualities people will experience you as a good leader. Here’s a simple six-step program that can help aspiring leaders achieve their potential:

Recognize your weaknesses — Or “know what you don’t know, then don’t go there.” But don’t do nothing. If you want to get better at something, learn it, train for it, then do it.

Listen to what is being said about you — If comments are negative, do something to prove that they are not valid. If comments are positive, demonstrate that you are even better.

Assert yourself — If you are good, show it, don’t talk about it. Too many people talk the talk but they don’t walk the walk. And always work to prepare yourself to be even better than you are now.

Maintain your intensity — Stay focused. When you meet a goal, set a new one. Don’t be satisfied with short-term results. Celebrate your successes and victories along the way. Always prepare and set yourself up for success.

Accept new challenges — Constantly strive for improvement. You have to work hard at being good.

Never be satisfied — Once you exceed expectations in all are as you will realize your real potential. And when you realize your real potential, you will find that you have the capacity to further improve on everything you have already achieved. It’s a never-ending circle of energy.

In business, I live by “Execute... Learn... Add.” Here’s how it works. You can’t add unless you execute and learn. You can’t learn unless you execute. Simple, isn’t it? Yes, but it’s hard to do. If our jobs were easy, everyone would be able to do them. It doesn’t work like that. Each and every one of us needs to execute — to get done what needs to be done as perfectly as possible. And as we execute, we learn every day, from everyone. And we get better at what we do. As we improve, we add value to everything we do for ourselves, our team, our boss, our company, and our family.

This is what leaders do. This is what winners do. This is what Briad must do. When we understand the difference between “good” and “great” and we strive to be great, then we will become “best in class.”

I continue to be impressed by the leadership shown throughout our company, in the restaurants of both brands, from managers through crew members in both the front and back of the house. We need to build on that.

In closing, I want to leave you with this quote from Dave Thomas, "Live your life with honesty and integrity. I think personal integrity and high ethical standards are the most important values you can have. Remember, you earn your reputation by the things you do every day.”