Redzepi's Masterclass in Leadership

René Redzepi is a world-renowned chef. In Copenhagen, his restaurant, Noma, has been named the best restaurant in the world by?Restaurant Magazine?five times.

Noma was awarded a third Michelin star in 2021.

His work on the refinement and reinvention of new Nordic cuisine rocked the restaurant industry. His creativity for combining flavors and research involving foraging food in the wild has set him apart.

I'm currently reading the book?Hungry?by Jeff Gordinier. Gordinier a master storyteller, and he shows Redzepi as not only a food genius but a fantastic leader as well.

Restaurant work is grueling. Long hours and late nights don't even cover what these talented people do. Late on Saturday night, at the end of a long week, when the staff is completely burnt out and still has a kitchen to scrub down, Redzepi hosts a competition among his team.

Each chef gets to present a new creation, and Redzepi will critique it in front of the team. He tells them about opportunities to improve it, and he is ecstatic about what they did well. After the judging, his team's energized. They grab a beer, toast to the end of the week, and scrub the kitchen.

As a leader, here's what Redzepi gets really right about this practice.

Know your staff

This weekly competition lets Redzepi get to know his staff better. He can see who they are and where their talents lie. He is running the restaurant, and he is also the star. As Executive Chef, he doesn't usually have time for this.

At that moment, he gives the person presenting the dish his complete attention.

The way the chef presents the dish is an insight into who they are and how they operate. This lets him get to know them better than simply chatting after hours.

Feedback is invigorating

When a leader you look up to gives you undivided attention, you feel validated and seen. This practice of holding a Saturday night competition is genius because Redzepi has set aside time for feedback for his team every week.

It's built in.

After each critique, he ensures he leaves them uplifted.

After the presentations are over, the team is reinvigorated and dives into scrubbing the kitchen. They play loud music and talk. This would generally be a slog after a long week of hard work, but Redzepi has made it fun.

Team bonding

If there were ever a way to bond people, it would be by shared experiences.

Yes, this team works together all week in the kitchen but being able to share a bit of themselves on Saturday night makes the hard work even sweeter. The chefs can celebrate one another. They can rally behind the originality and the creativity of the dishes and cheer each other on.

Team bonding like this can work anywhere. You don't have to work in a kitchen. Let people show you who they are.

Let people shine.

How you lead is you

René Redzepi is passionate about food. He also loves people and connecting people with food. He enjoys connecting people with each other.

This is leadership. Connection is leadership.

He ensures that he makes time for his staff. Every week, Saturday nights are for them. He gives actionable feedback and praise for the hard work his team brings forward every day. He gives his team access to him and reinvigorates them. He understands that all of this leads to team bonding and having a more cohesive team.

No matter where you work or how many people you lead, you can incorporate these skills. When you understand the people on your team better and know what motivates them and what makes them unique, you'll be able to guide them better.

Your job will be more fun for you too. That's the key. Great things line up when people can be themselves, and great teams are forged.

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