Leadership Skills I learned from The Bear

In a continuation of my series of “Leadership Skills I Learned from” articles (here and here), this piece is where I bring together two of my strongest passions in perfect synergy; TV & Film and lessons in leadership.

Having recently wrapped its third season, The Bear is one of the most successful shows in the past few years and with close to 11 Emmy wins under its belt since its creation. Focused on the food industry in Chicago, it tells the story of Carmy,? a young Michelin star chef who returns to his hometown to take over his family's sandwich shop after the death of his brother. However, it’s much more than that. The story is deeply rooted around the values of family, ambition and leaving a legacy. Aside from its entertainment value, with each episode, we can’t help but feel the relevance of the hopes, fears and motives of its protagonists, however far away the grueling life of the restaurant business may be to ours.

By the same token, The Bear is filled with leadership lessons available to us if we look past the drama, the broken dishes and the perfect looking meals. What follows are some of the themes from the show that have influenced my leadership style. Although I make reference to some of the show’s story lines, it’s completely spoiler free (scouts honor!). So if you haven’t watched The Bear yet (which you absolutely should do); you’re still good. So read on.

Fulfillment

You know the sense of satisfaction that you get after completing a goal or a milestone at work? It’s a sign that you’re in the right place pursuing a career that gives you a sense of accomplishment. Fulfillment is the result of doing something that we are passionate about, inside or outside the workplace, that strongly matches our aspirations. The sad truth is that it’s a sentiment that often eludes us, due to many factors that we may or may not be complicit in. Much like in the show, where Carmy makes sacrifices to pursue a path that leaves him fully fulfilled; we need to have a moment of introspection to reeaxmine whether we’re on the right track. Where we fall short is thinking that a decision cannot be reversed, maintaining course at the detriment of our happiness. Similarly to Carmy, who left the overly demanding life of fine dining to manage a local sandwich place, sometimes we have to reevaluate our priorities and seek fulfillment in other avenues.

Stepping Up

One of the characters that steal the show is Richie, a close family friend to Carmy. Richie is portrayed as an abrasive individual, resistant to change and utterly unreliable. Still, over the course of three seasons, we witness Richie’s personal development arch, as he grows into a dependable figure and an asset to the restaurant. Coming out of a sense of duty and a need to find his own place, he’s an example of how one can step up to new heights if they have the necessary drive for it. There comes a time in our professional and personal lives, where we can stagnate as we find ourselves too far into our comfort zones, often leading to taking things for granted. In this moment, once you recognize it, this is where a decision to change becomes a must. Stepping up is the only way forward in order to grow in our careers, maintain our relationships and becoming fulfilled in our lives. Much like Richie’s story line, stepping up requires a willingness to take initiative, embracing challenges and taking responsibility for our actions.

The Pressure of Expectations

This theme permeates throughout the show as we see both Carmy and his sous-chef Sydney struggle with their self-imposed expectations of themselves. This translates to severe anxiety that negatively impacts their self-esteem and bleeds into their relationships. Both characters learn the virtue of making mistakes while accepting them. A recurring message in the show (exemplified by a sign hanging in one of the restaurants Carmy worked in) is “Every Second Count”. Playing on a double meaning, it reflects the sense of urgency that’s in the atmosphere of a restaurant’s kitchen, but more importantly, it acts as a message to the characters and ourselves as audiences, to slow down and savor the moments that matters, lest they pass us by as we see it happen to the characters on the screen.

Purpose

Circling back to the notion of fulfillment, The Bear’s main characters have a clear definition of their purpose, that they hope will eventually get them to that feeling of fulfillment. With each passing episode, we see examples of what these characters are missing out on as they remain steadfast in the journey they chose for themselves. But most of all, what they, as well as us, quite often miss out on, is the fact that we are not single faceted individuals, and that your purpose in life can be the merging of different paths that we take as we pursue our career aspirations, raising our children, developing friendships and cultivating personal interests. In that, the message of the show is clear; a person consumed by a single definition of their purpose, will miss out on other opportunities to bring joy to their lives.

I’m often accused of using all my senses as I follow a show or a movie, but that’s what led me to these lessons that have stuck with me and that I’m? adopting in and outside of the office.

As an avid fan of The Bear, I invite you to, not only to watch it, but to reflect on it and take out your own lessons. And while we're at it, if you haven’t read my other articles in this series, now is the time. Did I hear a “Yes Chef!”?