Why is it always closed when I want a chicken sandwich?!?

It never failed in college. I would go on a fun 3 day weekend road trip to visit some friends or a place I've never been before. We'd leave nice and early on Friday and do what college kids do that weekend, and then leave to head back to Bloomington Sunday night.


Without fail, almost every time I was cruising on I-65, or I-70, or I-74 there would be this wonderful sign that would suck me in like a vacuum:

YES!!! After a long weekend, I would finally get to stop and get a chicken sandwich and a milkshake, and it's one exit away. I'd get off the highway, follow the little blue sign to either the left or the right 0.7 miles, turn, and then oh crap....mother$%^&%$!!! Chick fil-A was closed.

It would get me every time; I would always forget that I couldn't get my chicken sandwich and milkshake on a Sunday. Ever since S. Truett Cathy found the company in 1967, the restaurants have been closed on Sundays. I knew that it had something to do with religious reasons, but I never considered to think more about it. I would just always get mad when I pulled off of the highway and the place was closed.


If you are a big Chick fil-A fan like I am, you should definitely read about the company at this link:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A

S. Truett Cathy was a devout Southern Baptist - I am about as far of a polar opposite on that spectrum as someone could be. While I don't agree with his religious philosophies personally, I can respect the fact that this ideal has been part of the company from it's founding until today. I have talked in previous blogs about how life is too short - it needs to be enjoyed more. I agree with the philosophy that people should "work hard and play hard". But I feel like sometimes people forget the latter part of that ideal.

I can appreciate a leader having enough strength in their beliefs and convictions to continue this ideal that has carried on for multiple decades. When I would get mad during those long road trips to see the CLOSED sign on the Chick fil-A door when I'd arrive, I now have learned that minor inconvenience for me was actually an intelligent loss of business for the company. The leaders and management have decided to remain closed for 14% of the week due to the values and conviction that they have. At 88 years old, S. Truett Cathy still has the value that it's important to have all stores closed on Sundays, and that value supersedes the temptation to have the stores open and make money those days.

There are other examples of intelligent loss of business that are well documented. Ukrop's also closes on Sundays, and chooses not to serve alcohol. Many counties around the country have chosen to remain as "dry counties" and not sell alcohol. TV and radio stations will often avoid running controversial ads that could put the media outlet in a bad light.

Making money is important. A majority of people in the business world would even say the bottom line is the most important thing - everything else be damned. It is certainly respectable when a leader still has the gumption to have an intelligent loss of business instead of chasing the almighty dollar. A lot of times having this philosophy correlates with the brand of the company. The brand is the most important thing to understand in an organization, so it is vital that these ideas lie up.

We learn about leaders when the stakes are the highest

After taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test for the first time, I was interested to see what I could learn about the results I got back. The test told me I am a ISFJ; I thought that summed me up pretty well. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while I think that test was pretty spot on with my leadership abilities, that summary only works under nice, normal conditions. But what about when the pressure is turned up and results are needed immediately?

I think all leaders have two types of personalities - their day to day operations one, and their "their is a fire lit under my a** and I need to lead and get things done RIGHT NOW". In order to be a great leader, you need to be able to be effective in both situations. You need to sometimes place the MBTI test to the side and roll up the sleeves and get things done when surprises sneak up on you.

I was trying to think of an example where a leader was thrust into an uneasy spot and had to show true excellence under trying circumstances. Then I woke up this morning and realized that today is 9/11 - 8 years since the tragedies that occurred in NYC, DC, and W. Pennsylvania. As a native New Yorkers, the events of 9/11/01 will always be burned into my memory as a sad and tragic day. While the day mostly brings about bad feelings, I will always remember the leadership and resolve of NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani during the moments after the World Trade Center collapsed.

There is no training manual or leadership course that can prepare someone for the stunning and swift horror that was carried out eight years ago today. However, Giuliani rose to the occasion be keeping all New Yorkers (and by extension the country, and the world) calm and orderly. His reaction to this tragedy was to step up and be the absolute best he could be. Just look at the confidence he exulted moments after this massacre occurred:

Rudy Giuliani was a leader's leader that day. Nobody really knew what that he had that extra gear to kick his leadership to until he was faced head on with such a tragic event. The MBTI test could tell him what kind of leader he is when he sits down in a climate controlled room with no distractions and submits his answers. But his true leadership qualities came out in that moment of horror when he became "The countries mayor."

On the other side of the spectrum was the lack of leadership shown by President Bush during this same generation-changing moment. While Rudy Giuliani was showing what a great leader he was and how he could handle this crisis, President Bush conveyed the total opposite in his actions - freezing up while reading to school children in Florida.

9/11 is a day we need to always remember and honor for as long as we live. For many people, it is something that they think about every single day as they lost loved ones. But there were some lessons learned in leadership that day that I think show that sometimes leadership is more than just theories. When circumstances are their darkest, people look to their leaders for help and guidance. And the leadership shown that day by the mayor of NYC and the president of the US showed their stark differences in leadership under strife. This isn't a political discussion - both Giuliani and Bush are Republicans - but shows that while both men are clearly political leaders, their actions under duress could not have been more different.

We have one life to live - so let's not worry about having that extra Ferrari that we'll never have enough time to even drive!

We have one life that we get to live, so we may as well enjoy it to the fullest. Sure money is important, and we all need enough to live comfortably on – have some savings, pay for our kids to go to college, tuck some money away for the occasional cruise or trip to Vegas. I mean, look how much fun these people are having!




With that being said, how much money does a person (or family truly need). It goes back to my original point that life is too short. Is it worth it to make $1 million plus a year, but have to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never have the opportunity to see your kids play little league or even have time to take your wife out for a nice dinner once in a while? Work-life balance is very important to me. That is why I want to work in a culture that supports and appreciates my desire to both work hard, but also play hard when I can. To work at a place like that, a leader needs to be in place that respects that you need to live your life outside of work too. We’re all going to spend at least 1/3rd of our lives at work (because we all work “40-hour work weeks” wink wink). Why not find a place that makes those 8 hours a day a pleasure, and not an experience that will leave you with ulcers?

If you had a choice to work for one of these two people, which looks like it would be a more enjoyable experience?








OR







Again – we have one life to live. Why should we dread going to work every day and wait to be berated by the yelling leader type? Why should we live our lives in fear and tremble every time we see our boss in the hallway. The only two reasons I could think of are money and security. I can’t argue with the security part of the argument. If you have a job in this economy, you have to do whatever it takes to keep it; if that means tolerating a yelling and screaming boss, those are the breaks. But when things are more stable with the economy, why spend your life being yelled at and screamed at by your leader on a daily basis. Money is important, but not that important. And if you’re working in a job with a boss whose leading style is fear, and you’re not making a lot of money, then you DEFINITELY need to find somewhere else to work.

Find a place to work that is fun and challenges you to be your best every single day. There are plenty of leaders like the woman pictured above, who are there to inspire you, nurture you, and be a rock for you. Working at a place like that will make you much happier in life than making a few extra dollars. Remember – we spend 1/3rd of our life at work, if not more. Why not make it an experience to enjoy not spend the other 2/3rd of your life worrying about having a dreadful boss.

It’s a purely fictional character, but how happy would we be to have Michal Scott, the boss from The Office (the best show on TV in my opinion) as our leader. He might not be the most shrew person in the world, but he loves his employees, and always keeps things interesting!