Contrasts in Leadership
The are many apparent differences between Damola Adamolekun and Lori Lightfoot. Adamolekun is 33. Lightfoot will be 60 in a couple more weeks. She lived in her hometown in Ohio until graduation from high school. He lived in four different countries on three continents by age nine.?
Adamolekun’s education is Ivy League. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with dual majors in Economics and Political Science at Brown. He also has a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Lightfoot’s education came from her native Midwest. A Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Michigan and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Chicago.?
Adamolekun is the Chief Executive Officer of P.F. Chang’s, an Asian restaurant chain based in Scottsdale, AZ, with 300 locations in 20 countries on five continents. Lightfoot is the Mayor of Chicago, the third largest city in the United States.?
However, the most significant difference between them is in how they lead.?
As a NASCAR fan, a Charlotte native, and a one-time resident of Chicago, the announcement of a city street course race in Chicago caught my attention. Eagerly, I read about the 2.2-mile course that will snake through and around Grant Park along the city’s lakefront.?
Yet, as I read the story about the announcement in the Chicago Sun-Times, linked below, my excitement turned to doubt. Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman notes that NASCAR’s negotiations and planning have been through the mayor’s office. That’s not surprising. However, one of the aldermen who represents the ward that includes the race course alleges that aldermen whose communities would be most affected by the event were “intentionally excluded” from the discussions about the race.?
In stark contrast is the approach that Adamolekun has taken in leading P.F. Chang’s from debt-ridden doldrums in 2019 to a period of growth through a global pandemic, political turmoil that left several locations damaged from looting, and increasing competition.?
When Adamolekun stepped into the role as CEO, he had some clear ideas on tactical changes the restaurant chain needed to make. Many of those, such as the development of a mobile application that simplified and fueled the growth of take-out and delivery orders, have been vital to P.F. Chang’s significant sales growth since 2020.?
Yet, Adamolekun credits the recent success of P.F. Chang’s to something more significant. In a conversation with Liz Claman, which you can hear at the link below, he credits a leadership strategy, not any tactical changes, for their success. Transparency, Adamolekun insists, has been essential in leading the company from what Claman calls “a near death experience,” to the growth and vitality they now enjoy.?
The young CEO notes that in his earliest days in the role, he was transparent about the company's challenges. For example, he hosted town halls with Chang’s employees, facing questions, concerns, and even doubts about his plans. He has also encouraged regular feedback from local restaurants about how customers respond to special menu items or their dining experience. These and other expressions of transparency, Adamolekun says, cultivate a sense of ownership of the mission and solutions to the challenges they face.?
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Having lived in Chicago for six years, I understand that an alderman complaining about the lack of transparency or involvement of stakeholders is commonplace. Such concerns are often sincere. However, these very public statements are also intended to convince constituents that the alderman is representing their interests. Politicians without that basic savvy don’t last long in Chicago.?
While I neither intend to defend nor defame Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s approach, I recognize the impractical ineffectiveness of trying to negotiate details of hosting a major sporting event with all 50 city council members deciding the details.?
In both cases, time will tell whether quiet, exclusive negotiations of an executive or transparency that invites influence on decisions will be more fruitful. They may both win. They may both lose. What is clear already, however, is that they are very different.?
What about you? What approach are you taking with the team or staff you lead? Do you have a leadership strategy that guides decisions along the way? Do those you lead know what that is? Do you understand the benefits and pitfalls of that approach? How do you navigate that balance? How can you mitigate the risks and enhance the rewards of your approach?
Ask a trusted friend to help you think through these questions so you may lead well.
Enjoy your weekend!?
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The views and opinions expressed in my Thursday Thoughts on Leadership are my own. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina or any affiliated churches.