Can a burrito change your life? Yes! Don't believe me? Then you haven't tried the Wet Pork Burrito at Gordito's in the Greenwood area of Seattle, (pic here).
Okay, maybe a burrito can't change your life. However, David Kim, the CEO of Baja Fresh is all about transformational, life-changing leadership, as evidenced in a recent episode of Undercover Boss; http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=ZQJ6mA5az7ubZyxNwhZvh1DlhVlmBvnA&vs=homepage&play=true
The Birksfam(-2) watched this episode tonight, and besides making me hungry, it made me want to share these life/leadership lessons from CEO David Kim.
1. Location, Location, Location - This powerful "Burrito King" (a title he's not totally comfortable with) doesn't have a penthouse office with a view of the "little people". He works in a cubicle - right in the thick of things - where, as he puts it; "you can hear everything".
2. Familia es muy importante! - CEO David Kim is a family man. He loves his wife. He loves his kids. He loves his Mom, (who passed away three years ago). He loves his Dad, who has recently been diagnosed with a lung disease. But it's not only his family that is important to David Kim. The families of his Baja Fresh employees are important to him as well. In this episode, he makes it possible for some of his new-found friends & co-workers to be with, enjoy, and provide for their family members. Very cool!
3. Faith & Work - CEO David Kim is a man of faith, but he doesn't leave it all at home (where he prays with his family before leaving). He brings it to work with him as well. In the episode linked above, he asks one of his "co-laborers in the Fresh" if he is a Christian. When the cashier says "Yes", David says; "I'm a Christian too", and then proceeds to pray with him, (which he does again during the "reveal" portion of the show). The Bible says Faith without works is dead! Well, work without faith is not Baja Fresh!
4. Aware of his sinfulness - CEO David Kim is successful, and sinful. He is painfully aware of his own sinful state, and responds to this realization with humility & penitence.
5. Mediocrity is not an option - "Everything about Baja Fresh is about excellence", says CEO David Kim during a portion of this episode when a cooling table isn't working properly. He makes no apologies for demanding quality.
6. Sees the potiential in the leaders he leads - As the episode progresses, CEO David Kim quickly realizes the goldmine he has in the hourly staff & salaried managers who work for (and help generate millions of dollars for) his company. Despite the difficulties some of them are going through personally, depsite their lack of education, despite their youth and inexperience, he sees what they can be. So much so that he...
7. ...Risks on a (faithFULL) hunch - SPOILER ALERT!!!! As previously mentioned, CEO David Kim is a man of faith. Women & Men of faith often do things that seem strange. When he meets with his Board after his undercover experiences, David shares with them his plan to give a franchise away to one of the young managers he met. You can tell by their reactions that a few of them think he's gone one jalapeño over the line. Give a franchise away? "Are you sure that's a good idea, David?" one of the execs asks. His response? "Let's train them!"
8. Enter the Mentor! Near the end of the episode, as he is talking with those he has met, CEO David Kim offers one of the greatest gifts one human being can give to another; time. "I'd like to spend some time with you this year", he says to one stunned Baja Fresh employee, "to help make you a better business man". To another (the one to whom he gives a franchise) he says; this is "going to be hard work, but don't worry, I'll be here next to you". BAJAWESOME!
9. There's more to life than a spicy salsa & a nice casa - Near the end, as CEO David Kim is reflecting on his Undercover Boss experience, he says; "Success isn't about achievements and money. It's about relationships...".
Well, that about WRAPS it up.
Most of us don't get to own our own chain of Mexican Grill Casual Dining Restaurants (darn it!). But we can emulate David Kim's approach in whatever ministry, Church, or movement we are leading. If we do, we may find something that grows, and makes people happy and satisfied (and may even change their life). That reminds me, this is a pretty good book on keeping ministry real and "fresh", (pic to the right).Happy eating, reading, and leading!
-rob
