Five Lessons Learned and Not Forgotten

Every consultant, coach, and business thinker has a list of leadership lessons/do's and dont's, so why should you read Mark's? Because Mark Miller began his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member at the company’s Southlake Mall location in 1977 and worked his way up to the position he holds today as the Vice President for Learning & Development at Chick-fil-A. During his time with Chick-fil-A, annual sales have grown to over $3 billion.

Consider these five leadership lessons Mark learned as he worked his way from the front counter to senior leadership:

Lesson 1: Yes, Leadership Matters. Schools, homes, churches, hospitals, governments, armies and businesses are the product of leadership. Leadership determines the reach, depth, scope and ultimately the success of any enterprise.

Lesson 2: Leadership Always Begins With A Picture of the Future. Leaders always see a better tomorrow, and more importantly, leaders see it before others see it. This vision is formed through a combination of experience, expertise and intuition. The best leaders use this picture of the future to drive the behaviors of today.

Lesson 3: Not Everyone Wants To Be A Leader. In fact, most people are willing followers. But the best leaders are followers too because they serve others before themselves. A servant-leader mentality is what separates great leaders from the mediocre ones. Followers know that it is a gift to be well led.

Lesson 4: Leaders Initiate Change. Great leaders don’t initiate change for change’s sake or to follow whatever is the current trend in management, but for the sake of real progress. This change is often uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Change is the price of progress.

Lesson 5: Great Leaders Earn Trust Over Time. A leader is always being observed, so if the leader's actions are inconsistent with their words, it is immediately noticed. Consistency from the leader creates a platform for trust and credibility - it also creates a model for others to emulate.

Do you have any thoughts, reactions, or other points to add? Chime in below.