Leadership 101 summary

These days, it seems like everyone is extolling the virtues of leadership – but why? 

Well, it all comes down to what it takes to be successful in life. Real success comes from mastering skills in four basic areas: relationships, self-directed learning, attitude, and leadership. And it's that last one – leadership – that helps multiply the impact of the other three. 

Why is leadership so important? Because the traits of leadership actually relate to all the other areas of success. Leaders know how to prioritize, and they show discipline in getting the job done. Leaders cultivate trust in others, and they do it by reflecting deeply on what’s most important. Leaders align their vision and character with their values, and they communicate those values clearly. 

In short, getting leadership right can make or break success in other aspects of life.

Take two brothers, Dick and Maurice. These brothers opened a drive-in restaurant in Pasadena in 1937. They saw the potential in California’s booming car culture and created a restaurant where patrons were served food in their cars – complete with china and silverware! Their car-hop venture was a huge hit, and by 1940 they were enjoying enormous profits. But by 1948 they could see that drive-in culture was on the wane. So they made the smart decision to switch from a car-hop to a walk-up restaurant. They streamlined the menu to focus on hamburgers, and switched from china and silverware to paper and plastic. Their profits doubled with the changes, and they opened a second location.

And that’s exactly where the story of Dick and Maurice McDonald would have ended if it weren’t for the entrance of a visionary leader, Ray Kroc. The McDonald brothers wanted to grow, but they didn’t want to shoulder the extra work of opening more restaurants themselves. Kroc was familiar with the concept of franchising, and he saw the potential in McDonald’s opening up in many cities. In 1955, he partnered with the brothers to form the McDonald's Corporation. In the next four years they opened 100 additional restaurants. Four years later, there were 500. 

In 1961, for just over 2.7 million dollars, Ray Kroc bought the rights to McDonald’s. Today, McDonald’s has restaurants in most corners of the world. It’s true that Dick and Maurice McDonald worked hard and were very successful, but it took a leader to see the company’s true potential, develop a vision, and get the right team onboard to make it grow into a worldwide phenomenon. 

So, how can you do the same? That’s what we’ll tackle in the next chapter.