This month I read “Love is Free, Guac is Extra” by Monty Moran. He was the co-CEO of Chipotle for many years and was responsible for many of the positive changes that happened, how they became so successful, and how they survived through several rounds of challenges. The thing the book really underlines is the impact good leadership can have on a business. I know, I know, everyone says how important leadership is, but Monty showed that those can be so much more than words and that when you do have the right people in the right places doing the work that they’re passionate about and good at, and you’re all committed to high standards, leadership definitely does make a difference.
I always love seeing how people define the word leadership. Monty defined it as “the act of empowering one or more people to achieve a purpose, which is both desired by the leader and which allows those being led to realize and enjoy their full potential.” He also differentiated between leadership and management (terms that are often used interchangeably) as management is about getting people to do stuff for you, whereas leadership is about getting people to do something for themselves.
Both of these tap into the power of motivation and perspective, meaning companies have two options: they can be just about the bottom line and not truly care about their people, or they can look to make win-win-win-win situations for everyone involved (which usually ends up turning out to be the better option for the company than if they were to just be focused on the bottom line). Monty shares that when people who are truly leaders are involved, they’re actually and frequently in touch with their people. They know them, they listen to them, they trust them, they challenge them, they believe in them, communicate with them, and show that they’re committed to helping their team be their best.
One of the key parts of making this type of leadership (and success through your team) possible, as you would expect has to do with the people you hire. Monty shared that he encouraged the Chipotle organization to hire not on experience as so many companies do, but based on character. This makes a ton of sense because you can always teach skills, but you can’t teach or create or hardly ever modify a person’s character.
Finally, true leaders really are responsible for everyone’s success. The team takes their cues from the leader, and if they see the leader slacking off or being absentee, they’ll follow suit. Monty said that whether you know it or not, the leader is always being watched. Good leaders let their team know that they’re essential to bringing the vision to reality (a vision which is relatable, realistic and impactful). Good leaders share what’s going on because team members feel that they’re an essential part of the team when they’re kept in the loop, and it shows that leaders are aware of what’s going on in the business (and care about what’s going on).
What insights about leadership have you learned lately?