Promises, Promises
The best CEO I worked for in my career was at RJR Nabisco; his name, Lou Gerstner. He was exceptionally smart and exceptionally principled. I watched his leadership closely and found many lessons that would guide my career over the years. So when he was selected to be CEO of IBM in April of 1993, […]
Focused Or Flailing?
Apparently our human minds can only remember three or four things at once. Psychologists at the University of Missouri published a paper in 2008 entitled “An assessment of fixed-capacity models of visual working memory.”* Up until this study, most researchers thought we could remember seven things at once – like the seven digits in our phone […]
Which Way?
It is Friday night and I am headed to LaGuardia airport in New York City– in the borough of Queens. The traffic is heavy. It is raining, and chances are good flights will be delayed. If you have ever traveled through a major airport on a Friday night, you know this feeling. Your head has […]
My Favorite Things
One of my favorite childhood movies was The Sound of Music. I think it may have been the catalyst for my lifelong love of music. Maybe I was a romantic at the age of 9, but I can’t think of a more beautiful scene in a movie than where Julie Andrews sings “My Favorite Things.” As […]
Do You Love The People You Lead?
For over 18 years, I’ve been in a leadership position with small business owners, the franchisees who invest in and run restaurants. Let me share with just five things that are annoying about a small business owner: They have a lot of emotion and relatively few facts. They always want some special favor. They never […]
Who Matters Most?
When I joined Popeyes in 2007, my first day was the international franchising conference in Orlando, Florida. As you would expect, on my first day I was brimming with excitement and anticipation about this challenging new leadership opportunity. This would be my first chance to meet the Popeyes franchise owners – the people who own […]
Mirror Mirror On The Wall
I’ve only been a waitress once, for one day. I was sixteen years old and had just passed my driver’s test on the second try. Excited to have the independence my age deserved, I realized I would need money for gas. It was time to get a job. Applications submitted. Interviews complete. I found my […]
Your Attitude Is Your Altitude
Last night I enjoyed a dinner conversation with a Popeyes leader who oversees more than a dozen restaurants. In our chat, we were reflecting on how grateful we both were for the momentum in our business – and how blessed we felt to be a part of this company. I was so impressed with this person’s […]
Is Leadership An Extreme Sport?
My father was my encourager in life. If I wanted to try something new, he was all for it. He was my greatest fan and his encouragement made me feel special. I only have one memory of my father saying a discouraging thing – and that was at my tumbling class when I was 7 […]
In Honor Of My Favorite Boss
Looking back over the years, it is so easy to see why you were my favorite boss. But at the time, I didn’t have enough life experience to know just how special you were. Please accept this letter as my way of honoring you for the positive impact you made on my life. These are […]