Felipe Guzman’s Post

An article about different cultural leadership styles in the workplace. https://lnkd.in/gM-2ps7F #inhousecounsel #leadershipstyles #board #workplaceleadership

🌟 Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: What Does It Mean? 🌟 Understanding the phrase ""culture eats strategy for breakfast"" is crucial for effective leadership. Our latest guide explains this concept and how a strong organisational culture can drive your business to success. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3VE3YQH #CorporateCulture #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

What does innovative leadership look like to you? I find that I learn so much more when I see real-life examples of an idea. Definitions are great, but stories? They bring ideas to life in technicolor. I’ve been inspired by Will Guidara’s innovative leadership and the stories in his book, “Unreasonable Hospitality.” At just 20-something, he became the General Manager at Eleven Madison Park (EMP) in NYC. Alongside Chef Daniel Humm, they aimed to make EMP the best 4-star fine dining restaurant for the next generation. Their journey was all about bold innovation and leadership. Guidara’s process stood out to me: Recognize, Research, and Renew. Here’s how he applied it: #1 He’s Only in His Twenties Recognize: Will knew he was very young to be managing a 2-star fine dining restaurant. Research: His youth gave him fresh eyes to question the status quo. Renew: He used his fresh perspective to innovate and achieve EMP’s mission. #2 Hire in Groups to Change Culture Recognize: New hires often quit after a month. Research: There was tension between the “old guard” and the enthusiastic new hires. Renew: Will started hiring in groups, like college classes, to build camaraderie and support, transforming the culture. #3 Be a Cross-Disciplinary Learner Recognize: A review said EMP needed “some Miles Davis.” Research: Will learned how Davis continually reinvented himself by collaborating outside his genre. Renew: They adopted 11 words inspired by Davis’s qualities as their roadmap: cool, endless reinvention, inspired, fresh, collaborative, spontaneous, vibrant, adventurous, light, and innovative. This guided them to their goal. In 2016, EMP was named the #1 restaurant in the world! Action Plan: Let Will Guidara’s innovative leadership inspire you. What challenge are you facing as a leader? Try his process: Recognize, Research, Renew. Go make your company and our world a better place! #Leadership #Innovation #Inspiration #WillGuidara #UnreasonableHospitality #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovativeLeadership #FineDining #TeamCulture #CrossDisciplinaryLearning #MilesDavis #LeadershipLessons

What does innovative leadership look like to you? I find that I learn so much more when I see real-life examples of an idea. Definitions are great, but stories? They bring ideas to life in technicolor. I’ve been inspired by Will Guidara’s innovative leadership and the stories in his book, “Unreasonable Hospitality.” At just 20-something, he became the General Manager at Eleven Madison Park (EMP) in NYC. Alongside Chef Daniel Humm, they aimed to make EMP the best 4-star fine dining restaurant for the next generation. Their journey was all about bold innovation and leadership. Guidara’s process stood out to me: Recognize, Research, and Renew. Here’s how he applied it: #1 He’s Only in His Twenties Recognize: Will knew he was very young to be managing a 2-star fine dining restaurant. Research: His youth gave him fresh eyes to question the status quo. Renew: He used his fresh perspective to innovate and achieve EMP’s mission. #2 Hire in Groups to Change Culture Recognize: New hires often quit after a month. Research: There was tension between the “old guard” and the enthusiastic new hires. Renew: Will started hiring in groups, like college classes, to build camaraderie and support, transforming the culture. #3 Be a Cross-Disciplinary Learner Recognize: A review said EMP needed “some Miles Davis.” Research: Will learned how Davis continually reinvented himself by collaborating outside his genre. Renew: They adopted 11 words inspired by Davis’s qualities as their roadmap: cool, endless reinvention, inspired, fresh, collaborative, spontaneous, vibrant, adventurous, light, and innovative. This guided them to their goal. In 2016, EMP was named the #1 restaurant in the world! Action Plan: Let Will Guidara’s innovative leadership inspire you. What challenge are you facing as a leader? Try his process: Recognize, Research, Renew. Go make your company and our world a better place! #Leadership #Innovation #Inspiration #WillGuidara #UnreasonableHospitality #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovativeLeadership #FineDining #TeamCulture #CrossDisciplinaryLearning #MilesDavis #LeadershipLessons

When I was in grad school, I heard the phrase "culture trumps strategy" (and sometimes "culture eats strategy for breakfast") on a regular basis. On a related topic, I recently came across this article and I think it's a concise reflection on how best to establish/perpetuate a strong culture to serve as an effective foundation to any organization. Food for thought! #culture #bringingitalltogether #moveforward #leanin

Hotshot, charismatic leaders can do wonders for a startup – but what works well in the beginning phases can become problematic as the company grows. Looking through the lens of the recent downfall of the CEO of UK’s BrewDog, author and consultant Steve Hearsum explores what it means for a company and, indeed, for society, when a lionized leader falls from grace. https://hubs.ly/Q02C2kVL0 #Compliance #Leadership #Governance

The best organizations are always learning organizations, constantly bringing in and processing new data. They evaluate, develop theories, test, and foster personal growth. These teams are led by learning leaders who read, listen, question, and consider how new inputs can solve problems, improve culture, boost participation, and drive innovation. Michael Graen, Andy Murray, Matt Fifer, Justin Urso, Don Bechtel, Mark Breden, Bill Waitsman, Dina Howell, Harry S. Campbell, Henry Ho, Jeff Schomburger, Jesse Edelman, John Green, Kathy Blair-Johnson, Mike Russell, Matt Waller, Peter Silvestri, Reagan Herrmann, Bill Toler, Tom O'Brien, Tom Verdery, Conversations On Retail #collaborativedisruption #Leadership #ContinuousLearning #Innovation #GrowthMindset

The Faces of Partners Being Grilled 😬 Every year, we dedicate at least 2 hours (sometimes more!) for one of the most challenging yet rewarding sessions: Ask the Partners Anything. It’s a no-holds-barred Q&A where the entire team puts us in the spotlight, asking the tough, unfiltered questions: “Do you guys have individual OKRs?” “What did you contribute this year?” “Are our ventures making money?” “Why are we focusing on new products?” “What’s your biggest mistake building OM?” “How do you maintain a flat culture?” “What’s OM’s 10-year roadmap?” No question is off-limits. The goal? Transparency. Accountability. Feedback. We want the team to know we’re still fit to lead, and we’re serious about earning their trust—every year, all over again. It’s daunting. It’s humbling. But it’s also the kind of thing that keeps us sharp, aligned, and real. After the session? The team rates us and submits honest feedback through a form. Yup, they rate us—like restaurant service, but for leadership. And you know what? That’s the beauty of it. It’s an opportunity to address burning questions, give high-impact answers (or try to!), and provide larger context for decisions. The result? A stronger, more united team that respects one another, champions each other’s work, and moves forward with clarity. Grateful for my partners who keep it real, a team that’s fearless in their questions, and leaders who are ready to grow together. Another day, another grilling—but wouldn’t have it any other way. 🔥 #Leadership #Transparency #Accountability #Teamwork #GrowthMindset #CultureMatters #OpenCommunication #LeadershipDevelopment

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins." 🍷 — Luke 5:37-39 When change is needed in an organization, after an acquisition (or some similar initiative), leaders often focus on external factors like financial restructuring or rebranding. But the truth is, real transformation starts from within. You can’t pour new wine into old wineskins. The team, culture, and mindset that worked for the old company may no longer fit the new vision. Without internal alignment, even the best strategies will struggle. Perhaps the hardest part of any post-acquisition transformation is letting go of what worked in the past. The successes of the old company may no longer be relevant in the new context, and clinging to old methods can limit future growth. Leaders must be prepared to embrace internal changes as much as external ones. Curious about how internal dynamics can make or break post-acquisition success? I explore this in more detail in my latest article. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/d7dD5YsB What do you think? Can a company truly transform after an acquisition without changing its internal culture? 💬 Let’s discuss in the comments! #Leadership #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation #PostAcquisition #CorporateCulture

“An Ocean is Made Up of Raindrops” -- Will Guidara, "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than They Expect" (Optimism Press, 2022) The theory of change in culture work is based on the premise that intentional efforts lead to clear outcomes: a workshop leads to skill improvement, coaching leads to personal development, skillful onboarding leads to shared values and mindsets. In my experience, reality often tests that theory. Workshop attendance is low and it’s already the true believers.  Coachees want to change behavior but are enmeshed in an incentive structure that makes it easier to stay the same rather than grow. Core values are eloquently explained onboarding but the executives who generated them are no longer with the company and championing a value set. Or, it’s just a Tuesday after a long weekend. At times it can feel overwhelmingly difficult to stay committed towards noble audacious goals at scale.  In his book Unreasonable Hospitality,  Will Guidara shares stories from his experience running Eleven Madison Park, once the best restaurant in the world. There are many memorable lessons to take from his experience in fine dining  – “Be ruthless with 95% of your budget so you have 5% to spend on silly, extravagant, playful things that make your experience memorable” is a favorite – but i’ve been thinking a lot about the quote above to keep me grounded and focused on what I can control. How many raindrops can I throw in the ocean today? At LifeLabs Learning, we often preach “Small change, big impact” - we’re asking people to consider small tweaks to their behavior that can scale up to shifting the culture of their teams. After reading Guidara’s stories about creating a culture of excellence, I’m adding his Ocean/Raindrops metaphor to my arsenal of stories that may help leaders embrace the power of their actions in the face of what feels like overwhelming resistance. https://lnkd.in/geMzeX2J #lifelabs #culture #leadership #coaching