31/08/2025
The walk-in freezer was at -22°C. Nobody wanted to clean it. Frankly, I didn’t blame them—it was December in England, freezing even outside, let alone inside that icy box. As the manager, I could have simply ordered someone to do it. Instead, I grabbed the protective gear, called my best teammate, and stepped in first. Ten minutes in, five minutes out, until the job was done.
When we walked out, shivering but smiling, the rest of the team looked at us differently. That night, they didn’t just see a manager—they saw a leader willing to share the pain. Leadership is not about telling people what to do; it’s about showing them how it’s done."*
📖 Excerpt from my upcoming book on leadership, inspired by real stories from my early years managing a busy UK restaurant.
