Leadership Lessons From a Chef by

Charles M. Carroll

Preface

1. Why did Chef Carroll write this book?

There are really few books and resources out there for chefs
that are written by chefs reflecting practical ideas to use in real
kitchens. That's what motivated the writer to write this book.

2. What is SEF?

Scheduling, Empowering and Following up. Just the writer's

formula for success.

3. What is the Stephen King quote?

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented

individuals from the successful one is a lot of hard work.

 
Chapter 1, What Makes You Tick?

1. What most inspires you?

Leaving a positive impact wherever I go.

2. How are you improving your qualifications?

Always seeking knowledge, training and mentorship.

3. According to Chef Carroll, why should you focus on your work,

not your title?
 If you work hard and show up and perform beyond expectations,
titles will come through eventually as a result.

4.  What did you learn from the section, Show Up!

Always be in the mindset of greatness and be outstanding.

Recognition will come as a result and you'll move up.

5. - Answer these questions about your team.

1. a.      Do you have a great team?

Yes I believe so.

2. b.      Is your team inspired?

Yes.

3. c.       Is your team motivated?  Why or why not?

Yes, Simply because we are all here that tells something

about motivation.

4. d.      Are you motivated?  Why or why not?

I'm super motivated. I took this direction with my life and

career out of pure passion and motivation to do what I love
for the rest of my life.

5. e.      What is your group’s atmosphere?

A very friendly one.

6. f.        Do people enjoy working with you?

Yes.

7. g.      Do people follow you?

Yes.
 8. h.      How often do you lose your temper?

Hardly ever. I'm a very patient person when it comes to

human relationships.

Chapter 2, Testing the Kitchen Atmosphere

1. Culinary, why should kitchen people keep talking about food all
of the time?

Once you talk about food everybody will be interested and chime
in to the conversation and people start learning something new
from each other.

2. What communications skills can you use from Chef Carroll when
you become a chef or manager?

Challenge your team.

pay attention to your body language. use positive body

language.

Speak softly carries great weight.

Stay on message.

Chapter 3, How is Your Attitude

1. What is Chef Carroll’s passion?

Cooking.

2. What is your passion?  Be real with your answer

My passion is making a difference. Leaving a footprint along my

journey.
3. Culinary, answer the questions on page 30.

-Is your Culinary passion true?

Yes, I already left a very comfortable life to chase my passion.

-Have you set goals for yourself?

Yes, I have set clear goals for the direction i want my life to go.

-Do you walk in your property and see things in other

departments that are wrong but never make and attempt to
correct them?

No, that's actually one of my qualities that I pride myself on. I like
to correct things that do not even pertain to me. I get this itching
need to right the wrong.

- Have you ever put out a finished product that you knew in your
heart was not up to your own standards?

Yes, It's part of life and compromises we have to take.

-When your boss asks something of you, do you complete the

task better than he could have asked for?

Yes, It's just part of the perfectionist in me.

Chapter 4, Build Your Leadership Team First

1. What are the three reasons for having a leadership team?

-Promote communication.

-Develop new programs, policies and procedures.

Empower employees to discuss any challenges.

2. How will you organize your leadership meetings?

-Make sure it's a day everyone will show up.

-Schedule a time of day when it's slow and the meeting won't
hinder workflow.

3. What are Product Champions?

Individuals in the team with the most knowledge, training and

experience about the subject matter.

4. Culinary students, what Product Champions could you create for

1st quarter classes?

-Culinary champion

-Human relations champion

-Math champion

-Peer mentor champion

-Ice breaker champion

5. What is Chef Carroll trying to teach us in the section, No

Excuses?

-Hire the right motivated individuals to help you build the team.

-If you lead they will follow.

-Make your goals so clear and tie incentives to performance.

6. How are you going to make sure you communicate and follow-
up with your employees?
 First you need to think deeply about the issue at hand to get to
the root cause of it, then you need to communicate it clearly in a
matter that your audience will fully understand.

The best way of following up, is following through yourself.

Employees won't take you seriously and perform their assigned
tasks if you as the leader don't follow through.

Chapter 5, What is Your Mission?

1. Do you have a personal mission statement?

Always be influential. Always leave a mark.

2. What is your team’s purpose?

We got together to work on a group assignment. Our mission is

to carry out that task perfectly or as close to perfect as we can.

3. How are you addressing your team’s needs?

We are communicating very well. Everybody makes sure to

listen to other team members to eliminate confusion or stifling
any member's voice.

4. What are the beliefs and values that currently guide your team?

We always support each other and make sure we stay motivated

and focused on our goal.

5. Doe your team have a mission statement, what is it and how

often does everyone read it or say it?

Full understanding of assigned chapters by all class.

6. What are your personal goals

To be an influential person in the process of rediscovering the

authentic Egyptian cuisine.
7. What are your team’s goals?

-Work well together as a team.

-Eliminate or keep conflict to a minimum.

-Achieve the task we set out to do.

Chapter 6, The Principles That Guide Us

1. How can you improve everything you touch?

By constantly keep on trying to find better ways to carry out the

task at hand. When you think you have done a perfect job, only
then you'll stop improving.

2. Culinary students why do you need to taste everything as a

leader?

Testing is the simplest form of quality control for a cook/chef.

Without testing you're risking your reputation because
sometimes mistakes happen and better be caught before the
tables are set.

3. Why do you need to be committed to excellence?

Because keeping excellence is an ongoing effort that takes

perseverance and commitment. By letting go of what you may
think as "no big deal" then you are risking a butterfly effect or a
snowball type situation where quality deteriorates so quickly until
things are out of control. Got to keep it up at all times.
Chapter 7, Program Survival: Living It!

1. How do you live your mission statement day-to-day?

The keyword here is commitment. If your team is committed to

the mission statement they are going to abide by it everyday. A
complimentary part to that is the importance of leadership by
example. If the leadership team is not showing commitment this
will trickle down to the entire team and it goes downhill from
there.

2. How do you communicate success?

Driving your mission statement home and keep constantly

following up on it.

Chapter 8, Educational Environment

“Do not confuse motion and progress.  A rocking horse keeps
moving but does not make any progress.”  Alfred Montapert 

1. Explain how you are not a rocking horse?

I have quit a high paying job where I was at the peak of my

career when I felt like I couldn't grow any further. I embarked on
a whole new career following a passion to learn and grow in the
culinary industry. To the majority of people what I have done is
the definition of madness, but to me it's what made sense.

2. Yesterday at school/work, was it good enough, why or why not?

It was not good enough for me. I was really distracted by some
family matters back in Egypt and I let that get to me and shake
my focus which affected my goals of learning that day. I need to
put everything behind me while attending class so I can keep my
focus sharp.
Chapter 9, Fostering Success

1. Who is your mentor?

A boss that I had in a previous IT job. He had an amazing style

of leadership that I have adopted throughout my career. It's
more of coaching and guiding role after fully establishing all
aspects of the team. Way less invasive and more empowering
and trusting to your subordinates.

2. How would people describe your work ethic?

I have always been told that I enjoy a great level of work ethics.
This reflects in my relationships with my ex-employers and their
eagerness to have me join them back.

3. How have you focused your career since first quarter?

I had (and still have) a clear career goal which is to make an

impact on the Egyptian authentic cuisine. I wouldn't say my
focus has shifted rather I have added to it some additional goals
which is to travel the world and learn about other cultures
through their cuisines. I want to achieve a well-rounded
experience and knowledge in this industry so when I approach
my own roots, i do that on a solid ground.

Chapter 10, How To Get People to Want to Work For You

1. Do people want to work with you?

Yes, I have always heard the phrase "it's a pleasure working

with you" by my team mates and others I come in contact with
either in a work or otherwise context.

2. Why/why not?

I believe that I maintain a good level of empathy. I always walk

in other peoples' shoes first before making any judgments.
Chapter 12, Incentive Programs

1. What incentive program would work with this class?

2. Why do you believe it would work?
3. How should your idea be implemented?

Chapter 13, Discipline and Competition

1. Currently you lead by example, what do your examples

communicate?

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