When we become a culinary leader at any level, we become responsible for the well-being and success of other people. And as a leader, we achieve success through the success of others.

The following two steps help us to improve our ability to lead others effectively.

Step 1: Get to know your people well.

Step 2: Develop an in-depth understanding of their competence and perspective.

Leadership Step 1: Get to know your people well.
Our first leadership obligation is to develop our understanding of our people as individuals.

As a leader, how can we expect to get the best out of people if we don’t know them? There are issues that relate to everyone, such as policy or procedure, but to get the best out of people we need to reach them on a personal level. The key to leading others is to understand and consider them – put them first.

Our job as leaders is all about training, developing and educating people and we achieve this by developing a true understanding of:

• what motivates them
• what their aspirations are
• what they are capable of
• what is important to them

Culinary leadership isn’t about telling people what to do. Leadership is about:

• showing them what to do
• teaching them how to do it
• developing each person, enabling them to fulfill their potential
• focusing on the interests and wellbeing of others
• helping people to improve and achieve results
• building relationships based on mutual respect and understanding

Leadership is about being the best we can be to help others be the best they can be. Once we have taken the time to get to know them well, we can achieve this by focussing on two key aspects: their competence and their perspective.

Leadership Step 2: Develop an in-depth understanding of their competence and perspective.

Competence – each person’s individual level of skill and ability to perform the tasks that are required of them in their role.

Each person is a product of their own experience, level of education or training, natural abilities, values, beliefs and personal standards and this all needs to be considered in all leadership situations.

The only way we are able to assess an individual’s competence is through our relationship with them, by developing a true understanding of who they are. We need to get to know them. If we don’t, leadership mistakes are made.

Perspective – each person’s individual way of thinking about or evaluating a message, subject or situation, based on their personality, frame of mind, experience, wants and needs.

People all have individual perspectives in every situation, which can be shaped by an endless list of variables, such as age, sex, culture, experience, upbringing, values, beliefs, expectations, family circumstances, what is happening in their personal and professional lives etc.

It is our responsibility as a leader to increase our awareness and understanding of these variables and learn how to use this understanding appropriately to align our leadership style with their needs.

To be the best they can be, people need to know exactly what to do, how to do it and what is expected of them – they need to be provided with the appropriate guidance. Knowing the people we lead, gaining an understanding of their competence and perspective, allows us to align our leadership style with their needs, and give the right guidance.

So …

Step 1: Get to know your people, their:

• Experience
• Education
• Abilities
• Values
• Beliefs
• Personal standards
• Culture
• Background
• Expectations etc.

Step 2: Consider their competence:

• Have they ever done this particular task before?
• How experienced are they in this area?
• Do they have any prior knowledge in this area?
• Is this task or area likely to be one of their strengths or weaknesses?
• How competent are they likely to be in this situation?

… and their perspective:

• What is their view or attitude regarding this particular task or issue likely to be?
• Is there anything that would cause them to have negative thoughts or feelings towards it?
• How are they likely to feel about us in this particular situation?
• What are the other issues they are likely to be thinking about?

your coach -christian