Unless you live under a rock, you are familiar with the fast-food chain, Chick-fil-A. You waited in a double lane drive-thru wrapping around the restaurant building. Their mouthwatering chicken sandwich made the company the most profitable fast-food chain in America (John, 2018). The secret (not-so-secret) pickle brine bath that created the love affair so many people have with Chick-fil-A is not the company’s greatest source of pride. Rather, building on his father’s legacy, President and COO Dan Cathy continues to weave servant leadership into his everyday behaviors and the culture of the organization.
Northouse (2022) summarizes that servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interest, emphasize follower development, and demonstrate strong moral behaviors toward followers, the organization, and stakeholders. As a leader centered theory, the servant leader carries the burden of the organizational outcomes (PSU, 2023). Characteristics such as the ability to listen, show genuine empathy, be self-awareness, responsible stewardship, and a true commitment to the growth of people and community are paramount to the servant leader. These ‘soft skills’ often present a misconception that servant leaders do not exercise power. Not only does the Chick-fil-A organization provides an unprecedented example that would beg to differ and does so despite perceived managerial disadvantages.
A limited menu, closed-on-Sunday policy, non-traditional franchise strategies, private ownership, limitation on global growth possibilities, and Christian roots all should have worked against the fast-food giant. However, their emphasis on customer service and giving back to the local community separated Chick-fil-A from its competitors. The convenience of a self-contained sandwich proved a benefit when comparing its limited menu. Closing all locations on Sunday’s allowed for employees to go to church, be social with their families, and be present in their communities. The lack of availability on a Sunday seemed to work in its favor, creating cravings that carried over until Monday. Additionally, Chick-fil-A is extremely selective in choosing franchisees, accepting only a fraction of one percent of all who apply (Siegel, 2018 as cited by Manko, 2022). The business model expects these owner-operators “and their families [to] become integrated in their local communities, giving back outside of their restaurants as well.” (Chick-fil-A, 2021b as cited by Manko, 2022). S. Truett Cathy describes Chick-fil-A, “We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve” (Who we are, n.d.). Private ownership and limited global growth run in tandem, which surely would present itself to be a growth challenge. Yet again Chick-fil-A found success in this model by avoid pressures and interference from stakeholders who didn’t fully understand the company or its business and avoiding the public-market who would seek maximize profits making it hard to maintain the distinctive Chick-fil-A culture and would cut into the company’s charitable giving (Marko, 2022). Finally, Chick-fil-A’s culture is deeply rooted in Christian values of love and justice and includes a corporate purpose that ‘glorifies God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A (Chick-fil-A, 2021a as cited by Marko, 2022).
The Cathy family member at the helm of Chick-fil-A chose servant leadership as a way of living their lives and it is apparent in their corporate behaviors and corporate acts. Founder, S. Truett Cathy frequently spent the night camping out in the parking lot with enthusiasts the night before a new franchise opening, and current COO Dan Cathy chooses to spend majority of his time in the chain’s restaurants interacting with the workers. Cathy said, “Working in the field provides a deeper understanding of the wants and needs of the customers” and (Blazek, 2021). The basic idea is that the leader creates a culture of servant leadership so that the leadership process is always actively engaged and serving the purpose of the organization (PSU, 2023). Servant leadership is quantifiable, offering measurable results including employee satisfaction and retention. An employee survey produced results suggesting that eighty-four percent of employees felt managers cared about employees, eighty-seven percent agreed that taking a job at Chick-fil-A was a good decision, and seventy-six percent believe their work at Chick-fil-A helps to make the world a better place (Manko, 2022). Programs such as tuition assistance and employee development programs are mainstream in the business model, as well as education and youth programs. Servant leadership also hints empowering individuals to be innovative. Once again, Chick-fil-A demonstrates this behavior by providing franchise owners with autonomy within the organizations structure, known as freedom within structure. Thus, executing the training in the “Core 4” steps of (1) creating eye contact, (2) sharing a smile, (3) speaking with an enthusiastic tone, and (4) staying connected to make the interaction personal (Manko, 2022). Encouraging creativity, challenging workers to commit intentional acts of kindness daily, inspiring relationship building with guests, and empowering workers to give away free meals to customers all exhibit behaviors of servitude instead of transactional.
From limiting their menu to limiting the franchise opportunity, providing development opportunities to workers and being a curator of community, Chick-fil-A has built a leading fast-food chain that is true to the theory of servant leadership. Placing servitude and people over profit, the culture of this organization attracts increased business and continues to grow, develop others, and serve their communities in big ways. Sure, the chicken sandwich is delicious, but the genuine ‘my pleasure’ (to serve you) is the key to the fast-food chain’s success.
References:
Blazek, K. (2021, June 24). Chick-fil-A’s recipe for servant leadership. TruScore. https://www.truscore.com/resources/chick-fil-as-recipe-for-servant-leadership#:~:text=Truett%20Cathy.,The%20Servant%20as%20a%20Leader.
Boyles, D. (2005). Would You Like Values with That? Chick-Fil-A and Character Education. Jct, 21(2), 45-62. https://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/would-you-like-values-with-that-chick-fil/docview/194682880/se-2
John, S. (n.d.). Chick-fil-A is one of the most profitable fast-food chains in the US – here’s why they’re so successful. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-chick-fil-a-is-successful-2018-9
Manko, B. A. (2022). Analyzing an Unconventional Success Story Chick-fil-A Fast Food Restaurants in the USA. Management, 26(1), 118-143. https://doi.org/10.2478/manment-2019-0087
Northouse, P.G. (2022). Leadership theory & practice. 9th Ed., Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Pennsylvania State University. (2023). PSYCH 485-Leadership in Work, Lesson 11: Servant Leadership, Penn State World Campus. Servant leadership defined. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283258/modules/items/38927252
Who we are. Chick-fil-A. (n.d.). https://www.chick-fil-a.com/about/who-we-are
Hello!
I really appreciated your thoughtful blog post regarding Chick-fil-A’s outstanding example of servant leadership. Your analysis is convincing and relatable because you’ve not only managed to encapsulate the essence of this leadership style, but you’ve also applied it to actual situations.
You’ve emphasized the essential traits of a servant leader, like putting followers’ needs first, focusing on their growth, and acting morally strongly. It’s clear that Chick-fil-A stands out from other fast-food chains because of its leadership, which is clearly guided by these values under Dan Cathy. Chick-fil-A’s success and unique culture serve as excellent examples of the concept that servant leaders bear the responsibility for organizational outcomes, as covered in our course. Your examination of how Chick-fil-A’s distinctive business practices—such as its closed-on-Sunday policy, unconventional franchise tactics, and private ownership—have benefited the company particularly impressed me. It’s interesting to note how these behaviors relate to servant leadership. It’s intriguing to observe how these decisions, which at first glance seem out of the ordinary, actually fit with the values of prioritizing people over profits and fostering the development of both communities and employees. With the help of the astounding survey results, you have presented a strong case for how servant leadership affects employee satisfaction and retention at Chick-fil-A. Seeing how the company’s dedication to youth programs and education, in addition to its support of ingenuity and deliberate deeds of kindness, are entwined with a culture of servitude, is encouraging. Your conclusion, which attributes Chick-fil-A’s success to both the genuine desire to serve customers and the delicious chicken sandwiches, beautifully captures the company’s success. This highlights the fundamental tenet of servant leadership, which holds that prioritizing the needs of others leads to personal growth, development, and constructive contributions to the community.
References:
Northouse, P.G. (2022). Leadership theory & practice. 9th Ed., Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Pennsylvania State University. (2023). PSYCH 485-Leadership in Work, Lesson 11: Servant Leadership, Penn State World Campus. Servant leadership defined. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283258/modules/items/38927252