The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

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Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

#372: Will Guidara

Notes:

Sustaining excellence =
- Everyone has the capacity for excellence
  - Hard work
  - Giving a lot of yourself to something -- A" passion for the thing you're excellent at doing."
  - The nobility of service
  - It requires getting up on a day when you're tired and not feeling it
    - "You need to be on even when you feel off"
The "pre-shift" meeting -- "As a leader, you have a responsibility to share what inspires you."
- "Everyone craves affirmation."
Lessons from his Mom:
- She became a quadriplegic when Will was nine
  - You can talk things into existence - Will's mom said she wanted to stay alive until he graduated college. And she did it by one day. Doctors said she should have died when Will was 12.
    - "What would you attempt to do if you could not fail?"
  - The power of non-verbal communication.
  - Integrity in the face of adversity - Life is not always awesome. There's always ups and downs. Perspective is key.
Eleven Madison Park - Setting the goal to be the #1 rated restaurant in the world. In 2010, they were #50.
- Seven years later, they were #1.
"You need to love what you're doing to be great at it."
There is power in having extraordinary intention
Strategic planning --
- Be specific and actionable
- Have endless reinvention
- Be willing to take risks
"Unreasonable Hospitality"
- You need to decide what you want to embody
“Business like life is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple and that hard.” - Danny Meyer
Hiring:
- "We hired dream weavers from art schools, designers..."
- Experiential design separated them from the rest
Be present
- Listen to what is being said and what's not being said. Engage with people. Serve them. Meet them where they are.
"Hospitality is one size meets one" - Have to meet them one at a time
What's the secret to a happy marriage?
- "Never stop pursuing each other"
Ruth's Chris - The special calamari strips -- Not on the menu, but available to make an experience exceptional
The nobility of service... The four words:
- Hospitality
- Excellence
- Education - "A day you aren't learning isn't a day worth living"
- Passion - "Our work matters. What we do matters."
Meeting at The White House:
- Restaurants during the pandemic
His dad's advice -- "Adversity is a terrible thing to waste"
"It's not what happened to you, it's how you respond."
- "Through crisis comes community"
The Welcome Conference
- "Hospitality is just as much a craft as cooking."
Will's dad is his hero
- "Next level intense responsibility"
- He never complained
- "Name what you want to accomplish and do it"
"The secret to happiness is always something to look forward to."
Here is WHY joining a Learning Leader Circle is a good idea...

372: Will Guidara - The Nobility Of Service: Lessons Learned From The #1 Restaurateur In The World

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk