I travel….a LOT. I also coach people on interpersonal communications and leadership skills. In my travels, I usually make my way to a local coffee shop, and in lieu of that will find the closest Starbucks. For the past 10 months, I’ve been visiting the same Lexington Starbucks location at least one morning a month, during their busiest hour of the morning (from 8-9am).
I’ve always been impressed with this crew’s ability to take care of their customers in a high-volume environment. What really struck me this week was the fact that this crew has been consistently excellent for the past 10 months. How often do you see that? We all struggle with turn-over and training, and I’ve had my share of excruciating service at even Starbucks. But this location has something really special. They have Jonathan.
Jonathan is a true leader. He is a master at keeping everyone focused on the constant drive-thru traffic (usually at least 7 cars deep), while making sure the never-ending flow of in-store customers don’t wait for their order. He mans the main espresso machine, making the majority of the drinks himself, wears a headset to monitor the drive-thru quality of service, keeps six other employees flowing in what can only be described as organized and efficient chaos, all the while greeting and chatting with customers. I was so impressed with him that I urged my client to go over and just sit and watch him and his crew in action one morning.
Why is Jonathan such a good leader? Quite simply, he ‘walks his talk’ and is with his team every moment of the busiest time of their day, leading them by way of his actions, in addition to modeling expected behavior. The team posts efficiency stats on a dry erase board near the drive-thru window. I’m betting they get geared up for the morning with a huddle, and finish their days with a lot of high-fives and “good jobs”!
Leaders anticipate the day. Leaders inspire their team to do great things. Leaders hunker down and keep the team engaged, guiding them through the chaos. Leaders give timely feedback, and celebrate the small things to keep their teams inspired and engaged. Be a leader…..be Jonathan.