Foundation of Critical Leadership

Critical leadership is the next stage of leadership skills in the restaurant manager's career development strategy. The fundamentals of a good restaurant manager are personal. They have a narrow focus and are 'downward' focused. This means that they control things, situations, and people that are directly under your job focus. The next level of career development relates to developing leadership skills which go down, and move up the management chain. These skills have a cause/effect that tangibly impacts the careers above your management level. Having a positive impact on the boss's and the restaurant's success creates a strong career base with ample room for upward movement. Career coaching helps restaurant managers identify their skills, and areas where they need to develop skills by asking questions. Write these questions down and write down your answers. The more you write, the better you can outline your ideas, the better developed that skill is. Writing less than 2 pages indicates more training, reading, and experience is needed in this area. • I write things down and hold everyone accountable. rnThe leader who considers that they should be held to the highest level of accountability is usually the leader who succeeds. It is not uncommon to find a successful leader who works with a coach, is accountable to a social group, and attends conferences with their peers. People who write things down and track their goals are less likely to be distracted according to several publications on leadership success. It is more difficult to waver from one goal, or become distracted, when the list of goals and tasks is posted on the wall. Some coaches suggest that leaders develop ‘strategy manuals’. These can be as complex as a binder with everything from protocol to execution strategies in them. They can be as simple as a list in an excel sheet. • I communicate well.rnThe art of communication is vital for a leader. Time is wasted when a team doesn’t understand what is expected from them. Teams become frustrated when everyone ‘heard’ a different message at the board meeting. The first step to career development is understanding your strengths and 'proactively' closing the gap between your desires and expectations, and your ability to meet your goals. The more passionate you are, the more you'll invest. True passion is something you invest your time and money in, not something you just talk about. Restaurant managers learn to enjoy learning and studying. They make career development a personal endeavour. They are not afraid of reinventing themselves to become the type of person who can handle the stress of the restaurant manager's job. This may take a few months, or several years. Only you can determine how fast, or how quickly, you'll reach your goals.