Pay it Forward

It is definitely Norman Brinker week.  First, there was the Saturday night gathering in Dallas celebrating Norman and Toni’s fifth wedding anniversary.  Then, Monday night and Tuesday day was the San Diego State University Restaurant Leadership Conference.  SDSU was Norman’s alma mater and he established the Norman Brinker Executive in Residence program at the School of Hospitality Management. Many universities have executive in residence programs. Very few get the kind of executive participation that SDSU gets.

More valuable than the Norman Brinker money is the Norman Brinker name. Norman asked those that he mentored for so many years to participate in this program and help mentor others. From that moment on the school has been stocked with executives seeking a chance to pay it forward.  What can you possibly give a man who has made your career and your industry flourish?  Your time in pursuit of his passion.

There were two groups of executives participating in this event, which was designed to close the gap between executive experience and student education.  One was drawn from the ranks of Norman’s leaders from the past 35 years.  The other group was there because they view student leadership development as being just as important as Norman does.

Jeff Campbell, former chairman of Burger King, former chairman of the Pillsbury Restaurant Group (at one time the second largest restaurant company in the world), has become the Executive in Residence Who-Won’t-Leave.  Jeff has begun teaching leadership classes at the school and has introduced the students to the world of military leadership.  Jeff brings the subject to life with his command of historical events and its parallels to business.

Kyle Craig, Jeff’s former head of marketing at Burger King, and later the President of Steak and Ale Corp., has also given heavily of his time and has been teaching classes also.  He commutes in from Denver.

The first of what will be an annual event, the Restaurant Leadership Conference gave students a dose of what restaurant executives get in their own conferences.  A presentation by Dennis Lombardi on trends that the industry can either harness or fall victim to.  An education by Rick Berman on the dangers that face our industry from the risk of unionization at unprecedented levels. Executives taught classes. They participated in panels. They talked to students and answered their questions.

Chris Sullivan, Outback’s chairman and a long time associate of Norman’s, led a panel of restaurant CEO’s in a discussion on industry issues that was so frank it might well have been held in a board room. This is a group of students that will join our industry with eyes and minds wide open.

Norman was unable to make the trip for this gathering. As much as the students, and his colleagues, would have loved his presence, he was there in the legions of people that he has touched with his unique style of positive leadership.  Whether you worked for Norman or not, you have benefited from his leadership in the industry and by his fight against those who would undermine our viability (rhymes with government).

At the end of the conference, one participant commented that Norman’s impact on our industry seems to carry on a life outside of his presence. Isn’t that always the mark of a true leader?