CEOs in White
By Patricia Dailey, Editor-in-Chief -- Restaurants & Institutions, March 1, 2004
In an industry that sometimes struggles with image problems and always with labor shortages, the magnetic attraction that surrounds chefs presents an intriguingly odd dichotomy. While short-order cooks and so-called burger flippers are deemed to be career dead-enders, a craft that combines creative intellect with hands-on execution and the romance of food compels many to dream of becoming a chef (especially, it seems, hard-charging types such as lawyers and stockbrokers), even if they never act on it.
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What lessons do the best chefs have to teach the world's business leaders? |
Nearly a decade ago, a book debuted that perfectly tapped this gestalt just as it arced from peripheral interest to trend. Since then, “Becoming a Chef: With Recipes and Reflections from America’s Leading Chefs” (John Wiley & Sons)—by Andrew Dornenburg, a chef, and his Harvard MBA wife, Karen Page—has become something of a cult classic. More than 100,000 copies have been sold and its lessons have attracted readers far beyond the kitchen. Plucked from the dialogue of top chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Susanna Foo, Gary Danko, Charlie Trotter and
Susan Feniger are astute business lessons and philosophies that have turned many business people into avid readers. Warren Bennis and Tom Peters are said to be fans of the book, presumably for something other than a recipe for buckwheat risotto.
With kitchen turned into metaphor and “Becoming a Chef” the roadmap, it’s easy to chart parallels to success in more traditional business milieus. Looked at from that angle, the professional skills of chefs become more complex, instructive and fascinating— putting them on par with those of business titans and mavericks. For anyone who undervalues the deep pool of talent that resides in the back of the house, perhaps it’s time to look more closely and glean tips that can be used in any setting.
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Like the best CEOs, chefs are driven by attitude and moxie. They’re loath to accept mediocrity and rarely are undecided about the best approach to accomplish their goals.
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They live by numbers, constantly working them through in their head. They know the inputs and the impact. Whether dollars, gallons or degrees, the math must always work.
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Chefs understand with absolute certainty the importance of paying attention to everything—the big picture as well as the smallest detail. A single thing can bring down the house—even one bad clam or a bunch of unwashed green onions.
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The kitchen is their world and they know it intuitively, experientially and completely. With one glance, a chef can gauge and respond to the landscape of the day.
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Results are measurable and readily apparent. If it’s working and the marketplace responds, gratification is nearly instantaneous.
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In the end, execution is all that really matters. If the plan can’t be carried out, even the most brilliant ideas and business proposals will collapse like a cold soufflé.
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And finally, a chef’s success—like that of a CEO—is an elusive goal and it’s not easy to reach. Says Edna Lewis in “Becoming a Chef”: “Restaurant work is hard work. But you don’t give up—you try to improve every day, even on the old things you do. It’s a never-ending learning process.”
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