Leadership: in the eyes of a millennial chef

What exactly defines a great leader? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines leadership as ‘the office or position of a leader, the capacity to lead, and the act or instance of leading’ (Merriam-Webster, 2007).

Why does that seem perverse? Obviously, a leader is defined by having a position of power. Obviously, a leader is in place because they have the capability to lead, but leadership is much more than that. It’s having the ability to be empathetic, supportive, intuitive, and most importantly to make and learn from your mistakes.

The moment you decide to stop furthering your knowledge on something, is the moment you have failed. I’m a chef in the service industry and have been for over a decade. Every day I learn something new, because I allow myself to be vulnerable. I not only allow, but encourage myself to make mistakes. It shows me that I’m still growing. It shows me that I’m doing something different from the normal day to day. Sometimes it creates spontaneous momentum on a project I’ve been stuck on. Sometimes it destroys the project all together. Ultimately, it shows that there is so much more knowledge out there.

In the “good ole’ days” chefs used an iron clad style. Focusing more on threats and demeaning their staff and less on nurturing and empathy. There will always be difficult conversations and decisions, but we always need to remember what makes a company great — it’s employees.

If you’re not willing to challenge your staff, make them feel special, and help them grow; they’ll leave. If you’re not willing to pay a decent livable wage, they won’t even come to your establishment to begin with.