The article discusses the concept of "leadagers" as coined by author Chase LeBlanc to describe managers who also demonstrate leadership qualities. LeBlanc believes both management skills and leadership are needed for positions to be truly effective. He advises that the way one carries themselves, or "delivery", is as important as the work itself. Developing a sense of community or "tribe" can also strengthen an organization's culture.

2. Leading And Managing
Author Chase LeBlanc qffers Theories
On PeTjvnnances That ltnprove Profits
Chase LeBlanc is the author of the book
"High Impact Hospitality: Upgrade Your
Purpose, Performance and Profits'" He is
also founder and CEO of Leadagers LLC, a
business consultancy serving retail and
restaurants. LeBlanc began his career as
owner/operator of anightclub development
and management company. After selling
Autho r Chase LeHlan c has
that business, he has since led a variety of
w ilted the term "Ieadager"
national and global operations as general to c071/1ey that managers
manager and mUlti-unit regional manager, 1leed to bring leadership
and has also served corporations as vice qualities. as £vcll as
president and president. His range of managem ent expertise.
to th eir positio1ls.
experiences includes leading corporate
training stores, entertainment complexes,
fine dining establishments, high-volume
theme restaurants and other venues. or, for example, a line lead. If you have no that a driving part of their mission
LeBlanc has a bi-monthly column in Hotel other person within your span of inflLJence statement. Based on my experiences, it's
F&B magazine as the "Staffing Doctor" and - say you're operating a street cart - then probably just extremely difficult to attempt
blogs for other publications and sites, as you can manage things without being a to put that to the forefront when you're
well. In addition, he has been a contributing leader. There are many accidental worried about other things - running your
writer for several food-centric publicatIons. managers in our industry. It's my opinion business and making the bottom line grow
LeBlanc spoke with ARN about "Ieadagers," that we've left far too many good folks on - and somehow it's easy to make
hospitality and the challenges of managing the management minefield due to lack of leadership and development of 'leaders
a restaurant business. adequate profeSSional preparation. more secondary or tertiary.
ARN ' can . ou explain the term
y ARN. Do you think some restaurants ARN. Your book, 'High Impact
·
'Ieadager' - what it means, how it came actively quash leadership qualfties, or do Hospitality.' offers advice on how to be a
about and how ,t IS applicable m a theyjust not develop them? leadager. What are some key points that
restaurant environment? LeBlanc' There are a number of examples you think are crUCial?
LeBlanc: Leadagers is a smash word that where there are organizations that are not LeBlanc: My favorite saying in terms of
I started using in the '90s to highlight the actually looking for more leaders. They are leadager is that the manner of your
!mportance for my managers of being both
i looking for individuals to fit in more of a d'elivery always matters when you're
manager and a leader. People might be command and control model, where it's charged with delivering the deliverables.
hired as managers but leadership is equally very top-down driven and most of the That means that how you are is as
important and gets all the sugar - the leadership or acknowledgement of important as what you do. So if you desire
benefits and accolades. In my view, 'leader' leadership is given to individuals wno to be a well-thought-of manager, you have
is a term for a role that one seeks or operate at the height of the hierarchy.l'hose to hone that craft, and if you desire to be
perhaps is thrust into, and it's brought into individuals sometimes can be reluctant to a well-thought-of leader, my suggestion is
play when it's speaking about the influence, cede any power, or more realistically, any that you model first, teach second. It'S
interactions or impact upon others. A airspace, to someone who might have more than most are willing to do.
manager is an accepted term for a job that ideas, different methodologies, even MN: You talk about t/7e 'tribe' and
you can get to control, build or buy things opinions. It's not clear to me why more about bringing a sense of community into
YOU can be a leader without management people have not attempted to develop an organization. How difficult is It to
responsibilities, which is called a figurehead leaders within their organizations and make achieve?
42 A R N J U L Y 201 1

3. LeBlanc. It's my belief that an them to help move the program forward dOing everything at my disposal to identify
organization's culture can be a unique as opposed to waiting for somebody to tell my key players and key characteristics
value proposition in the marketplace, as the next person what to do. These are and try to replicate them. Sometimes
strong as any product. price or promotion. people who act autonomously within companies find a key player and' then they
With a tribe, it's easier to work towards guidelines and need less supervision. ask that individual [to recruit) family
missions and values, and if the culture is ARN: In your book, you describe members or friends. A lot of organizations
positive, honest and complete, it can capabilities or employee attributes in the are using more profiling - tests to attempt
provide strong connect'ions that travel food and beverage industry wiJere demand to extract what they think are the key
beyond just having a job for an employee. outstrips supply Are these ciJalacteristics characteristics for success. I know that if it
were me, I might be thinking about a
Facebook page. I might be thinking about
Twitter. If I was the manager at any level, I
"How.yoll at'e is (IS would certainly join Linkedln. I would , e
joining organizations that would help me
b
inlportant as what you do. " leverage the power of that connection to
the outcome that I'm hopeful to
accomplish, which would be to find better
players. I think a lot of people sit on their
I'm always amazed by the number of identifiable? Should managers/owners seek hands sometimes because they're very,
companies that suggest. 'I want you to to identify them in the hiring process or very frustrated and yet it sometimes just
work hard or buy more to make more cultivate them among managers and staff? takes a lot more work to get unstuck.
money for me' I don't always comprehend LeBlanc If you were to ask any leader of ARN: You point out that the origin of tl7e
why individuals believe that's an enticing any company or industry what types of word hospitallty is hospitable. Do you
or long-lasting link. You can have a person employees they wish they had more of, think that some restaUlants lose sight of
who is your lead cook or a person who is you 'd get a list very similar to mine. Most the fact they are actual hospitality firms,
your lead server, and tlley can influence everyone is looking for more people they more than Just purveyors of food and
and impact the group that they work with can trLJst and who are going to practice beverage?
if your culture's strong enough. TO me, this their craft past the point of expertise or LeBlanc. I think that the underpinning
is somebody who is embracing the will follow through from say to do. If I were bedrock of all hospitality establishments is
concept of line-level leaders, empowering an owner of an operation today, I'd be that you gain new customers by how well
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44 ARN J U L Y 20 1 1

4. you deliver Of;"] your promises to the old be as simple as a smile. It can be as simple time to up the engagement, maybe make a
ones. Before there was the ability to as just checking in with them, 'How's it personal recommendation. They think that
advertise in newspapers, on television and going today?' Maybe they missed their people everywhere appreciate when
on the Internet, there was word-of-mouth flight, may1 e they want to grumble a bit,
b people take a moment and they attempt to
advertising. It's still there and I think people and maybe you offer them a moment of draw somebody out a little bit, but I'm not
reference it, but I don't think there's an consolation and then send them on their suggesting that at the height of rush that
embracing that needs to exist It used to be way with a pat on back. These are the you're chatting everybody up What I am
that people lived in neighborhoods and kinds of things that don't necessarily saying is, do you have something at the
they would go to the neighborhood seem to nave value but cumulatively height of rush that is your go-to move so
butcher or the gas station or the those are the kinds of things that add up that people feel like maybe you appreciate
supermarket, drugstore. Everybody knew to a reputation for that particular them a little bit? Then the same thing with
everybody and those experiences kept concession or that particular organization. how they're getting the order. When things
operators a little bit more honest because If you just put more good out when you are moving pretty fast, I know that I'd like to
they didn't want Mrs. Jones to be talking are attempting to receive monetarHy, it is be sure that I got what I paid for but I also
about how she felt cheated to the 30 other most likely going to pay you back tenfold. know that if somebody makes eye contact
people that came to your establishment ARN.· Tilat goes along with creatfng the with me afild they say, This is your order:
These human interaction/exchanges that positive guest experience.Are restaurants that is always preferable to, '507. SOl?
used to take place are being diminished, typically getting it wrong? Where's 5077' I also think that people
and I think that people are not working LeBlanc: I like to write a vision of exactly sometimes really miss the boat What if
hard enough to replicate them. what it would look like if everything went things go wrong? I know that it always
ARN: In the airport environment it's right from a customer experience. So feels like it makes your day when there
perhaps more difficult to create a bond walking up, I'd describe the entire facade, was something that went wrong and it
because the customer base is so varied I'd describe what the individuals look like, wasn't like pulling teeth to get it fixed.
and transient I'd describe everything about the first That's something people remember and
LeBlanc But you could still make the impression in minute detail and I would do pass on to others. /--:::>
day of that customer that you only saw the same to the entire experience
once in your whole life, and they could still including when they're walking away. If you We 'd like to hear your opInion
be talking about that experience, if you attempt to participate in this exercise, you about this an/cle. Please dired all
decided to give them something that was will Invariably see where your gaps are. correspondence to Carol ward at
more positive than they expected. It can When things slow down, I think that it's caro/@airportrevenuenews.com.
WOLFGANG PUCK
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