Many of us in the restaurant business can think of a lot of words that begin with the letter “F.” Some of us can really only think of one word that can take on many different forms, most of which aren’t suitable for printing here. But how can three “F” words help young leaders develop?
Among many of the principles of leadership that I try to teach to young supervisors and leaders is the Principle of the Three “F’s.” Specifically, they are “Friendly,” “Fair” and “Firm.”
Friendly
Let's start with the word "Friendly" since it is oddly the most controversial of the three F words. Leaders are often taught to not get too close to their teams, that they should keep that respectable distance so that they can be an effective and respected leader. We can debate those points back and forth at a later time because that is not what friendly means here. Friendly means to be respectful of everyone, to be approachable and, yes, even be likeable in all the ways we interact with our team members of all levels. Make no mistake, no one is saying one should always win a popularity contest as effective leaders should regularly push their teams to get out of their comfort zones. But you should make sure your interactions are at least professional, pleasant or sometimes even congenial.
Fair
Being fair is not controversial however it is often misunderstood. Fairness starts with being consistent and even predictable in how a leader should hold their team to the standards of job performance or to workplace policies. Inconsistent enforcement of standards in an organization is often cited as reasons for lower team member dissatisfaction and engagement. Lack of fairness breeds a corrosive workplace which will lead to higher turnover. Leaders who create an environment of fairness take a major distraction away from their team allowing them to be more productive at focusing on the work challenges in front of them.
Firm
The last area is being Firm. In every organization there are certain standards or policies that leaders must enforce. However, new leaders often struggle with holding their team members accountable to these standards and instead try to be the “nice and understanding boss.” It might feel good in that moment to not hold your team members accountable but it is truly one of the biggest examples of ineffective leadership. Simply put, allowing team members to fail is a failure of leadership. Leaders are hurting the advancement potential of their teams when they don’t hold them to well known and established standards. They are producing an environment where standards are negotiable which teaches team members it is ok to compromise on excellence. Team members deserve better guidance from their leaders. Many leaders struggle with accountability however it is one of the best ways leaders can honor their commitment to be servant leaders for their teams.
These are some of the many things I try to teach young leaders with whom I interact. This list is obviously not inclusive of all of the many sound leadership practices that exist; it is merely a small snapshot of leadership lessons that seem to resonate and be helpful to people who are new to leadership.
What do you think of the three “F’s” and what leadership lessons do you teach that resontate with your new leaders?
