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Listen to the podcast and for – the warning signs of undermining leadership, why keeping a record is important, and how behaviour at the top affects trust and performance.
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Narrated by Darryl Morris, BBC and Times Radio broadcaster.
Real life stories from the Good Apple Effect
These are real stories from people working in hospitality at all levels.
Each account is based on an interview, captured by an experienced, independent writer.
Names and some identifying details have been changed to protect those involved, but the situations described are genuine.
The commentary that follows each story reflects the perspective of The Good Apple Effect, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company focused on reducing misuse of power and bullying in hospitality, whilst shining a bright spotlight on the positive impact the sector sees when it is reduced. The reflections explore the wider learnings from each story and their implications for people, teams and business performance.
HEAD ‘I thought being a head chef meant shouting, humiliating and pushing people hard.’
SELL: A promotion exposed a leadership style developed by repetition, until one conversation changed things for the better.
Chris built his career the hard way, at the sharp end. Like many chefs, he learned his trade in high-end kitchens where pressure was high and tempers were higher.
“I was bullied and humiliated as a junior chef. It was pretty much constant, but looking back at the time, it just felt normal. You saw it everywhere, even on TV,” he says. “So when I eventually worked my way up through the ranks to head chef, I just assumed that was how you were supposed to treat people to get the most out of them. I just carried on.”
Like many leadership styles built on fear and repetition, Chris was delivering good results and believed he was doing a good job. He did not question the cost of those results, or that things could be even better with a different approach.
It came to a point where Chris wanted to further his career. He left his head chef role to take on a broader, more executive position as Head of Food at a privately owned pub company. It was a step up in responsibility, and a chance to lead beyond a single kitchen and it also proved to be a turning point.
“After a few weeks, the owner, Martin, pulled me to one side,” Chris recalls.
“He said, ‘I love your food. I love your menus. I love your creativity. I love the new suppliers you have brought in and I love your margins.
“But there is one thing I do not like.’”
“I genuinely could not think what it was,” Chris says.
“‘And that is the way you treat people. That is not how we do things in this company.’”
“It stopped me in my tracks, to be honest. No one had ever spoken to me like that before.”
What followed was no raised voices, no theatrics, and no humiliation, just a clear standard from a good leader.
“‘I am going to show you how we treat each other.’”
“Martin worked with me on how to get the best from people by treating them properly. It went against everything I had learned, but you know what, it made sense.”
Gradually, things changed.
“The kitchen felt better, communication improved, people responded differently.”
And the results followed.
“I am now a better chef, getting better results. The food is still strong, the margins are still strong, but the team is stronger too.”
Chris said he is now a better chef, getting better results. What did not change was the ambition to serve good quality, profitable food, but what did change was how it was achieved.
Reflection
In hospitality, behaviour is often learned early and repeated without much thought. What starts as pressure can, over time, become something else, and once it is accepted it tends to carry on and spread.
You can get results that way. But when leaders change how they treat people, they get better ones.
A leader spoke clearly and a member of the team listened and reflected, and that is where things began to change. What followed was a change in how people were treated, and that was felt across the team.
You can get results through pressure. But when leaders change how they treat people, and others are open to changing with them, the results can be even better.
Sometimes leaders accept poor behaviour because the results are good. Do you? But sometimes better results are available with stronger, better leadership.
If you are thinking about how to make that kind of change, the Book Club, Quick Learning and Deeper Learning sections on The Good Apple Effect website.
