A 3 min read.

I had the absolute pleasure of hosting a leadership workshop this week that included Regional Managers, General Managers and Assistant General Managers across a variety of different restaurant concepts. My promise to these leaders was to walk away from this workshop with more clarity about how they lead, action items on how they could develop their skills in each area of their leadership and confidence to inspire, motivate, support and hold their teams accountable. It was an extraordinary session and I wanted to share the exercise we used with you.

I would challenge you to complete this exercise yourself and then do so with your teams. If you need help, feel free to reach out at christinmarvin.com/contact

Step 1: Define Your Leadership Style & Explore Influences

Defining your leadership style is essential to making intentional, values-driven decisions. This part of the exercise prompts participants to think about how their leadership style impacts their team and the broader restaurant culture. A strong, consistent style inspires trust and helps create a motivated, high-performing team.

To kickstart this, ask each participant to share a story about a leader who has impacted them. This could be a former boss, mentor, or colleague who left a lasting impression. Together, compile a list of characteristics that made these leaders impactful, such as decisiveness, empathy, or adaptability. Seeing these qualities on paper helps participants identify core attributes that they may want to embody.

Step 2: Design Your Personal Leadership Style

With a list of impactful qualities now in front of them, it’s time for participants to design their unique leadership blueprint. Invite each person to select five qualities from the list that resonate most with them or that they aspire to embody in their leadership. This personal selection process allows each participant to envision their ideal leadership style—one that aligns with their values and goals for their team. This reflective moment lays the foundation for intentional growth.

Step 3: Leadership Self-Assessment

Once participants have chosen their five defining characteristics, it’s time to reflect on where they currently stand with each one. Have participants rate themselves on a scale from 1 to 10 for each characteristic (1=needs work, 10=full developed). By doing so, they create a clear picture of where they are now, allowing them to better understand where they need to grow. Encourage participants to share how each rating feels; this dialogue increases self-awareness and offers a supportive space to discuss challenges.

Step 4: Set Targets and Visualize Impact

With their current ratings in hand, participants can set growth targets. For each characteristic, ask them to choose an ideal target rating they’d like to reach. Then, lead a discussion about what progress in each area would look like and how these improvements might impact their leadership and team dynamics. This exercise emphasizes the importance of goal-setting and gives participants a vision of the potential positive impact on their team and restaurant.

Step 5: Commitment & Action Plan

To make progress, actionable steps are essential. Ask each participant to choose one characteristic to focus on for immediate improvement. Then, have them commit to one small, achievable action that will move them closer to their target. This step reinforces the idea that small, consistent actions drive meaningful change in leadership.

I would challenge you to complete this exercise yourself and then do so with your teams. If you need help, feel free to reach out at christinmarvin.com/contact

Email me at christinlmarvin@gmail.com the one characteristic you’re focusing on and the small action you’re committing to for growth. Let’s inspire each other to lead with purpose!

P.S.

For more leadership development, here are some additional resources for you:

1. My book, The Hospitality Leader’s Roadmap: Move from Ordinary to Extraordinary is available at christinmarvin.com/book.

2. Tune into the No Hesitations Podcast Episode 32 : How to Lead with Clarity : 5 Strategies for Effective Restaurant Management

3. Contact me for a strategy session about overcoming your biggest challenge at christinlmarvin@gmail.com and start transforming your mindset, your restaurant, and your life today!