77: Unlock the Secrets to Becoming a Clear and Confident Leader in Restaurants

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Have you ever wondered how mastering transparent communication and purposeful leadership can transform your team’s productivity and morale? 

In this episode, I, break down the essential skills that separate great restaurant managers from truly exceptional leaders.

Looking for ways to streamline your restaurant operations? Check out Restaurant Technologies to see how Total Oil Management and automated solutions can save time, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.

You’ll walk away with practical, real-world strategies for:
✅ Setting clear expectations that eliminate confusion and boost efficiency
✅ Practicing active listening to foster trust and collaboration
✅ Delivering constructive feedback that inspires growth instead of resistance

But we’re not stopping there. We’ll also explore the game-changing power of effective delegation—aligning tasks with your team’s strengths and cultivating a culture of ownership. Plus, you’ll learn how leading by example, staying professional under pressure, and fostering positivity can dramatically improve team dynamics.

And because great leaders never stop learning, I’ll be sharing must-read books, powerful coaching techniques, and networking resources that will take your leadership to the next level.

Ready to level up your leadership skills? Let’s work together one-on-one! Get personalized coaching and tailored strategies to strengthen your leadership presence—contact me today at christinmarvin.com/contact.

Don’t forget to subscribe for more expert insights on leadership and communication in the restaurant industry!

More from Christin:

Grab your free copy of my audiobook, The Hospitality Leader's Roadmap: Move from Ordinary to Extraordinary at christinmarvin.com/audio

Curious about one-on-one coaching or leadership workshops? Click this link to schedule a 15 minute strategy session.

Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

Episode Transcript

Christin Marvin (00:08):
If you are ready to unlock success in the
restaurant industry as a managerby mastering the art of clear
and concise leadership, thenthis episode is for you.
Today, we'll explore what itmeans to be a clear and concise
leader, understand how ittranslates to the restaurant
setting and provide fiveactionable tips to help you

(00:30):
become a more effective leader.
Welcome to the RestaurantLeadership Podcast, the show
where restaurant leaders learntools, tactics and habits from
the world's greatest operators.
I'm your host, kristen Marvin,with Solutions by Kristen.
I've spent the last two decadesin the restaurant industry and
now partner with restaurantowners to develop their leaders

(00:53):
and scale their businessesthrough powerful one-on-one
coaching, group coaching andleadership workshops.
This show is complete withepisodes around coaching,
leadership development andinterviews with powerful
industry leaders.
You can now engage with me onthe show and share topics you'd

(01:14):
like to hear about leadership,lessons you want to learn and
any feedback you have.
Simply click the link at thetop of the show notes and I will
give you a shout out on afuture episode.
Thanks so much for listeningand I look forward to connecting
.
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(01:37):
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(03:23):
I've been working with a clienton their goal of how to show up
as a more clear and conciserestaurant leader in order to
both manage up and be able tomanage their team more
effectively.
In our journey, we've been ableto uncover some roadblocks that
have been getting in the way ofthem being able to communicate

(03:45):
the way that they want to, andwe've been able to strategize
and create plans around currentcrucial conversations that
really need to take place andthat are standing in the way of
the business being as successfulas it could.
So in this episode, I wanted toexplore with you today what it

(04:05):
really means to be a clear andconcise leader, how it
translates to the restaurantsetting, and provide five
actionable tips that will helpyou be clear, help you to become
more of a clear and concise andtherefore effective leader.
I'm also going to share acouple of resources with you at

(04:27):
the end of the episode that Ifound to be beneficial over my
years in the restaurant industry.
So first, let's define what aclear and concise leader looks
like.
A clear and concise leader isreally someone who communicates
with transparency, withprecision and with purpose.
In the context of a restaurantmanager, this really means being

(04:52):
able to convey expectations,instructions and feedback in a
straightforward manner whichfosters a positive and efficient
work environment.
What being a clear, conciseleader sounds like in a
restaurant setting is thisreally can be identified as

(05:13):
their ability to articulateexpectations, delegate tasks and
provide constructive feedbackin a manner that is easily
understood by the team.
Effective communication ensuresthat everyone is on the same
page, which leads to increasedproductivity, improved morale
and a more cohesive workenvironment.

(05:35):
Some tips that I would recommendfor becoming more of a clear
and concise leader are oneestablishing clear expectations.
Clearly communicate yourexpectations to the team.
Outline specific goals,standards and responsibilities,
ensuring that everyone reallyunderstands their role in
achieving success.

(05:56):
Make sure that you usestraightforward language to
avoid ambiguity, and one thing Iwould really love to add to
this is when you are gettingready to have a conversation
with a team, a teammate or yourentire team, spend some time
really thinking about what youwant out of that conversation.
Make some notes, plan thatspeech in the mirror and make

(06:22):
sure that you show up reallyreally well prepared and
confident for that conversation.
The second tip I'll offer isactive listening.
Active listening activelylistening to your team's
concerns, feedback andsuggestions is absolutely vital
for success.
This not only demonstratesrespect, but it also allows you

(06:45):
to address issues properly andreally make informed decisions,
encourage open communication andcreate culture where everyone
feels heard.
Actively listening really isabout just simply listening.
Leave your agenda out thewindow.
Really try to be clear ofdistractions that are going on.

(07:06):
You know, don't put yourself ina position where you're just
listening to someone and you'reimmediately trying to think
about a solution, or you'rethinking about what you're going
to say next.
Just listen to what they'resaying and let it soak in.
The third tip I'll offer isprovide constructive feedback.
When providing feedback, makesure you're really specific,

(07:30):
constructive and very timely.
Highlight both the strengthsand the areas of improvement.
Avoid being vague or overlycritical and really focus on
actionable steps for growth.
This approach really fosters aculture of continuous
improvement.
Again, a really great tip hereis to plan, prepare for the

(07:52):
conversation.
Make sure you could even runthis conversation by somebody
else and say does this soundclear to you, does this sound
like it's specific, that there'sactionable items to follow?
That will help you prepare forthe conversation.
Hi, everybody, we're taking aquick break to offer you an

(08:15):
exciting opportunity.
If you're a restaurant owner ormanager looking to enhance your
leadership skills.
Owner or manager looking toenhance your leadership skills,
I invite you to join my 12-dayleadership challenge.
In just 12 days, you'll receivea guided packet with actionable
strategies to transform yourleadership in less than five
minutes a day.
Join the challenge and thecommunity and grab your copy at

(08:38):
kristinmarvincom slash 12 days.
Now let's get back to the show.
The fourth tip I'll offer is tomaster the art of delegation.
Delegate tasks effectively byassigning responsibilities based
on the team member strengthsand their expertise.
Clearly communicate theexpectations, make sure that you

(09:02):
include deadlines and also tellthem what you want the desired
outcome to be right.
If you create a vision for themof what success is going to
look like when you delegatesomething, they're going to
clearly understand what successlooks like and then be able to
create a path in order toachieve that success.
Empower them to take ownershipof their role and promote a

(09:25):
sense of accountability withthem as well.
Let them know that you trustthem and that you are excited to
see where they're going to gowith this delegated task.
And, importantly as well, makesure that you're explaining the
why behind what you're asking ofthem.
This is a really strong way toensure that the team is bought
into what you're asking.
The fifth tip is lead byexample, so demonstrate the

(09:51):
behavior and the work ethic thatyou really expect from the team
.
A clear and concise leader setsthe standard throughout their
actions, not just their words.
By modeling professionalism,dedication and a positive
attitude, you can really inspireyour team to follow suit.
Some additional resources aroundthis that I would provide for

(10:12):
you would be one a couple books,one Minute Manager just a go-to
oldie but goodie by KennethBlanchard and Spencer Johnson.
Also, leaders Eat Last by SimonSinek is a really great read
and it works across, you know,wonderful, like many, many, many
different industries.

(10:32):
The second resource I wouldoffer is working with a coach.
A coach can really help youenhance your self-awareness.
Sometimes coaches just need tosimply hold up a mirror for
people and repeat back to themexactly what they're
communicating and help themunderstand how they're showing
up and then again really createa strong game plan to understand

(10:56):
what clear and concisecommunication looks like and
then help clear those roadblocksout of the way.
Working with my clients, we'vedone this quite a bit and really
have been able to clearlyidentify some of these
roadblocks and challenges thatare not just about how do I say
what I want to say, but we'verun into things on a deeper

(11:18):
level where there's somerelationship issues or some
tension or some lack ofself-awareness on some of the
team members parts, too, thatneed to be clearly communicated
before that leader can have theconversation that they really
want to have and need to have.
The third resource I would offeris networking events Attending

(11:41):
industry conferences, seminars,networking groups to connect
with experienced leaders, sharesome insights and learn from
successful professionals in thefield.
I always love even watching TEDTalks and Masterclass.
I love watching people'scommunication style,
understanding how they'repreparing, how they're clearly

(12:02):
communicating, how they'regetting their message across.
I really take a lot of valuefrom that.
But I think also industrygroups like Denver restaurant
associations any panels that youcan attend will really help you
understand how to communicateand also maybe how not to
communicate If you find yourselflistening to someone and you're

(12:23):
getting lost in the messagingor they're long-winded.
I think you can learn lessonsfrom that as well.
So to wrap this up, reallybecoming a clear and concise
leader in the restaurantbusiness is such a journey of
continuous improvement.
Communication is just one ofthe most challenging and
important leadership skills outthere.

(12:45):
By establishing clearexpectations, actively listening
, providing constructivefeedback, mastering delegation
and leading by example, you'llcreate a positive and effective
work environment that not onlybenefits your team but also
helps you achieve your goals asa restaurant leader.
Invest in your leadershipskills, embrace learning

(13:09):
opportunities and really strivefor excellence in every aspect
of your role.
I'm going to challenge you toreally get out of your comfort
zone and get uncomfortable,because this is where growth
happens.
This is where growth happens.
I'm going to challenge you byasking you if you're curious
about this subject and thinkthat you've got some room and

(13:29):
opportunity to grow as a clearand concise leader, to ask
someone on your leadership teamhow, simply, how you can show up
and be more of a clear andconcise leader.
And I'm going to ask you tojust listen.
Just listen to what they say.
Don't respond, don't offer anyrebuttals or anything like that,
just simply thank them forsharing that.

(13:52):
And I would recommend that yougo home, you write that down
somewhere so that you don'tforget.
Just sleep on it, don't stressout about it, get up the next
day and just spend some timewith those notes and really let
it sink in From there.
Once you have that feedback,you can kind of create, to start
, a vision for yourself of howyou want to show up what you

(14:14):
want your communication style tobe and then create a path from
there on how you can developthat leadership skill.
So I hope this episode wasvaluable for you.
Again, thank you so much forlistening.
I really appreciate it.
For more leadership tips,subscribe to my weekly
newsletter at kristinmarvincomslash blog.

(14:35):
Thanks everybody.
We'll talk to you next week.