Introducing "Barbecue, Books & Business with Roland Dickey, Jr."

Hi, I’m Roland Dickey, Jr., and I’m excited to share my new series, Barbecue, Books & Business with Roland Dickey, Jr. As a business leader, I believe that growth never stops. In fact, one of the most important qualities of successful leaders is a constant hunger for learning. Leaders must be readers—or, in my case, listeners.

You see, I’m a pretty avid reader. But actually, I’m not a reader at all. Why? Because I’m dyslexic. I do audio books. I listen to a lot of books. And I’m excited to share my recommendations with you. I’ve found that consuming the right information, whether through books, podcasts, or other sources, is essential for personal and professional development.

In Barbecue, Books & Business, I’ll be sharing the books and podcasts that have shaped my thinking as a CEO and entrepreneur. Whether you're a business owner, leader, or someone passionate about personal growth, these recommendations are sure to inspire.

Here are three books and two podcasts that I highly recommend:

Books

1. Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr

If you want to understand how one of the most successful companies in the world operates, Working Backwards gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Amazon’s leadership principles and how they approach innovation. This book reveals Amazon’s methods for scaling, decision-making, and building customer-obsessed teams. It’s full of lessons that any business leader can apply to their own company.

2. Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

This biography dives deep into the mind of one of today’s most visionary leaders, Elon Musk. Isaacson explores Musk’s life, his relentless drive, and the decisions that helped him build Tesla, SpaceX, and other groundbreaking companies. For any entrepreneur, this book is a must-read to understand how ambition and risk-taking can lead to world-changing innovations.

3. Poor Charlie’s Almanac by Charlie Munger

Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, is one of the greatest minds in investing and business strategy. In Poor Charlie’s Almanac, Munger shares his philosophy on decision-making, life, and success. This book is packed with wisdom about thinking critically and making smart, long-term decisions—principles that are crucial for any leader looking to build a sustainable business.

Podcasts

1. Founders by David Senra

The Founders podcast is one of my go-to listens. David Senra tells the stories of some of the greatest entrepreneurs and leaders throughout history, offering lessons in resilience, risk-taking, and creativity. Each episode is like a mini-biography packed with insights that can inspire any aspiring leader to push their limits.

2. Business Wars by Wondery

Business Wars takes you through some of the most intense rivalries between big-name companies like Nike vs. Adidas or Netflix vs. Blockbuster. This podcast not only entertains but also provides valuable insights into competition, innovation, and strategy in the business world. It’s a great way to learn how leaders respond to pressure and adapt to market changes.

I’ve always believed that learning is a lifelong journey. While my dyslexia made traditional reading difficult, I’ve found ways to keep growing through audiobooks and podcasts. Every leader must find what works for them, but the most important thing is that you keep learning.

So, join me in Barbecue, Books & Business as we explore the books and ideas that are shaping the business world today. Whether you're a barbecue lover or a business enthusiast, I can’t wait to share these insights with you.

Stay tuned for the first episode, and until then, happy listening!

~Roland Dickey, Jr.

How Roland Dickey Jr., Stays Hungry and Achieves Success as an Entrepreneur

If you ask any entrepreneur if they feel they have achieved success, whether their business is a new startup or has already reached astronomical heights they will probably tell you that there is still so much to accomplish. Look at any famous entrepreneur and you will see that while they all differ greatly from one another, the single trait they have in common is an unrelenting drive to see their business continue to greater heights. It’s a scientific fact that our brains crave safety and reliability – a comfort zone where we feel familiar, safe and secure. Unfortunately, it is that very craving that often causes businesses to fail, because within the comfort zone there isn’t much incentive for people to reach new heights of performance. Simply put, in order for a business to obtain long-term success its leaders must stay hungry.

As the third generation to run our family-owned company, I grew up watching my father grow the business from a single location to a chain of barbecue restaurants and then franchise business. When I took over as Chief Executive Officer, I went into the job with the mentality that if a company isn’t growing – it’s shrinking. My grandfather had created a wonderful foundation on which my father built, but I knew its reach could go even further. Up until that point, Texas barbecue was much-loved regionally but it had no national presence. Rather than being satisfied with the company operating as a small chain, I sought to take it to the next level and began the push to take our food across the nation. It was certainly a risk, but by operating with data driven results and making capital investments in infrastructure such as marketing and real estate management we were able to grow to over 500 locations.

All of this isn’t to say you shouldn’t feel pride in your accomplishments as an entrepreneur. When your business is doing well that is of course a reason to celebrate. But rather than letting that sense of accomplishment stagnate you, it is important to always be looking to the next level. Below are a few examples of why remaining driven is absolutely vital to entrepreneurship, as well as a few tips for maintaining it.

Adapting to changes within your industry

It is inevitable that no matter what industry you are in, shifts and changes will occur within it. Just because a way of thinking or system worked in the past doesn’t mean it will always be that way, and it is remarkable how easy it is to be blindsided and left behind. Whether it be shifting markets or a new technology, change happens all the time and with an increasing rapidity as the world becomes more globalized and technology continues to advance at an exponential rate. In order to keep up you, yourself, need to become faster and smarter to be able to contend with the pace, but in order to truly be competitive you need to get ahead of the curve. One of the biggest mistakes that an entrepreneur can make is resisting or failing to notice that all of their competitors are using certain new technologies that are streamlining their businesses, while you’re left eating their dust. Embracing and utilizing innovation in technology for your industry will only increase your ability to be more productive and provide more for your customers.

At my company, we have made significant capital investments in information technology, as I firmly believed early on that it was the way of the future. Although today many are seeing its applications in practically every field, at the time nobody was utilizing it in the restaurant industry. We created a proprietary data platform that allowed us to amalgamate information from our point-of-sale systems, marketing promotions, customer surveys and inventory systems, which we could in turn utilize to ensure that our rapid expansion efforts were backed by hard data.

Sometimes, change can come at an even more rapid pace such as last year with the novel coronavirus pandemic. In times like this it is especially important for entrepreneurs to remain relentless and determined to overcome obstacles – because there will always be obstacles. If you only take what comes, you’ll find your company slipping backward. Although Covid-19 presented unique challenges that we had never encountered before, we worked to quickly adapt by shifting much of our marketing spend to digital channels, and we were one of the first fast-casual brands to launch contactless delivery. In order to grow with your industry, you have to have the drive to get ahead of technological trends and shifts in the market.

Setting a tone of excellence

As the leader of a business, it is you who ultimately sets the tone and culture of the company. Whether you realize it or not, people are paying attention to how you conduct yourself on a daily basis, and the practices you put in place for yourself will naturally translate to better practices within your business. You’ll find that your employees will, in fact, follow your example if they see that you have a lot of positive traits that they would like to have themselves. If you are complacent with the way you operate your business, your team will assume that they can do the same.

If all businesses were self-sufficient machines in which employees simply “did what they were supposed to,” sales grew on trees, and customers kept coming back it would be much easier to keep them alive and growing. While a healthy workplace culture is of the utmost importance, equally as important is making sure that employees understand that the goal is not to simply maintain course, but to grow and evolve.

From our corporate offices all the way to those working in the barbecue pits, our company seeks to create an incomparable experience for each of our guests. New owner-operators must go through “Barbecue U,” an intensive program we created that educates each franchisee on not only how to run the restaurant, but also the high standards we hold ourselves to at every level. Even if you’re not so much of a people person, it’s not necessarily about giving motivational speeches to your employees or sending out inspiring emails. Even a quiet example of an inner fire will motivate those around you to seek that in their own job performance.

Be honest with yourself: do you feel the unrelenting drive that is necessary in leaders to succeed? Or have you let yourself – and by extension your business – become complacent? Complacency is the mark of death for all entrepreneurs. Whether it happens quickly or is a slow death, it is important to start addressing the matter before it spirals out of control. Here are a few options:

Reassess your business plan

While you may think your business plan is something you create when you start a company and follow with rigidity from then on, it should in fact be a living, breathing document that evolves with each passing year. When was the last time you reviewed it and determined whether the goals you had when you developed your success strategy are still in line with your goals now? If necessary, take the time to rewrite or realign to ensure that how you are operating is in line with your current priorities and goals.

Reevaluate your staff

Once you have revised your business plan, make sure everyone who is working toward that plan is on-par with your goals and the goals of your business. By communicating with your staff regularly and establishing an atmosphere that encourages productivity, creativity and growth, you can motivate them to perform extraordinarily and as a result stay hungry themselves.

Take a look in the mirror

At the end of the day, as the leader of your business every action and attitude you have will ultimately reflect back on to the business. If you have found that lately you lack the unrelenting drive you once had, try to determine the root of the issue. Are you burned out from overwork? Do you no longer feel a passion for the industry that you once did? Determining why you no longer feel a passion is perhaps one of the most important steps to reviving it.

Ultimately, one has to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Trying new ideas, stepping out of your comfort zone and constantly looking over the horizon ensures exploration, demands constant growth, and consistently produces next-level results. Overall, nothing is more of an entrepreneurial driving force than continuously wanting to take a project or idea to the next level. A lack of contentment doesn’t mean a lack of gratitude, rather it means appreciating the good while staying hungry for what’s next.

CEOCFO Magazine Talks To Roland Dickey Jr., CEO Dickey's Capital Group

CEOCFO: You are the third generation to run your family’s business. Can you give us a brief history of it?

Roland Dickey Jr.: My grandfather opened the original Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in 1941, and he and my grandmother single-handedly ran the restaurant for 26 years until he passed. He would be working the pit while she would assemble sandwiches and run the cash register, and they both loved nothing more than to spend all day chatting with the customers they served. When he died my dad and uncle had been away attending college at the time, but they returned home to help my grandmother and worked to make the business their own. My dad started developing his own recipes, and as they grew in popularity they opened additional locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  When they had reached their capacity for managing the restaurants themselves they began franchising. By the time I took over as CEO in 2006 we were already operating over 20 locations including a few out of state.

CEOCFO: How have you sought to make your own mark on the company?

Roland Dickey Jr.: I grew up in the thick of the business – I probably always smelled like barbecue growing up from learning the family smoking processes, and my first car was even the catering van – and I always knew that what my grandfather had originally created was special. My idea for the company was to push for national expansion into the fast-casual sector. My dad and uncle had done a great job taking the business to the next level by starting to franchise it, and I saw that there was a hole in the fast-casual dining market for a barbecue restaurant. Barbecue at the time was more regional in nature, varying from state to state (and in Texas even from county to county), but this was during the recession and I knew that if there was one thing a lot of people probably needed more of at the time it was comfort food. Within five years, we were able to grow from 20 locations to over 500, and today we’re the largest barbecue franchise in the country.

CEOCFO: What would you say has been the “secret sauce” to successfully scaling your business?

Roland Dickey Jr.: First and foremost, I would say it has been our commitment to quality that has enabled our business to scale as it has. We have continued to source the best quality meat possible which can never contain preservatives, and each location smokes its meat on-site every night. Our sides are top quality as well, with fresh vegetables and homemade rolls instead of the frozen and sliced variety you might find elsewhere. Secondly, I made sure we invested heavily in our infrastructure to ensure that we were ready to grow quickly and efficiently. Field operations support, accounting, logistics, real estate management, construction, advertising, marketing and information technology were all areas that I put significant capital into so that we would be prepared to scale, and I would say of them all information technology has had the biggest impact.

CEOCFO: Why has that made such a big impact?

Roland Dickey Jr.: We like to say our business philosophy is that ‘what gets measured gets managed’, meaning that we like to keep as close an eye as possible on our company metrics and make decisions accordingly. We recognized early on that information technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data had massive capabilities for us when it came to quickly and efficiently compiling and analyzing data, so we’ve sought to be a trailblazer of sorts within the fast-casual industry when it comes to utilizing them. My wife Laura Rea, who was the company’s chief information officer at the time, worked to pioneer our proprietary data platform we call Smoke Stack. It synthesizes data from our inventory systems, marketing promotions, customer surveys, loyalty programs, and point-of-sale systems, and through it we can obtain real-time feedback on sales and other performance metrics that fuel our decision-making. We know what activities drive sales and keep costs in line. Are we driving catering sales? Keeping labor costs in line? Is occupancy the right percent of sales? We’ve established what works.

CEOCFO: What are some strategies you employ personally to bring your ideas to life?

Roland Dickey Jr.: Besides tons of caffeine in the morning and wine and melatonin in the evening? I would say standing morning meetings are a key to me staying on track and productive. For me a consistent schedule means there is less of a likelihood of wasted time, and my team also has more chances to be productive when we keep meetings scheduled but concise. On the subject of time, I try to give myself extended periods of time to simply sit and think free of distraction. I always reserve the last hour of my work day for this, as well as a daily walk which helps tremendously, and I also always find time in my day to read – I love finding articles or books to share with our executive teams. Finally, our company culture is to ACT, which stands for acknowledge, communicate, and take things to completion. We encourage people to take risks even if they might end in error as long as you are candid, sincere, and always pushing to improve. This means directly identifying needs or challenges within the business quickly, effectively communicating solutions, and implementing them well.

CEOCFO: Can you tell us about any setback you have had as a CEO and what you have learned from it?

Roland Dickey Jr.: I try not to dwell on problems or mistakes; I would rather observe them, learn what I can and move on. For example, we had issues with our sausage supply during the coronavirus pandemic which resulted in a shortage. At the time it was a stressful situation, but we quickly looked at the facts and realized that the only way to not ever be put in that position again was to make our own sausage. The next day we had begun the process of doing so and haven’t looked back since. That being said, early on in my career I promoted our best waiter to a different management role, which ended up being a terrible fit for him. He ended up leaving the company, which was a shame because it was a big loss for everybody involved, but it taught me what a huge part the right role plays in a person’s success in a position. He really wanted more, but I now know that it is extremely important to ensure a new role is the right fit before moving a successful person from their old one.

Barbecue CEO: Roland Dickey Jr. is Smoking the Fast Casual Industry

Take a second to think of some of the largest fast-casual chains in the United States today. Jersey Mike’s Subs, Bruegger’s Bagels, Wingstop – all of these companies have managed to grow some of the most well-known restaurants in the country that you can expect to find in almost any major city you visit, and more in between. Not only that, many have managed to turn a once regional American dish into one that has national recognition. The Italian submarine popularized by chains such as Jersey Mike’s originated from the Italian-American community in the northeast, Bruegger’s Bagels brought the New York-style bagel from the Jewish community of NYC, and Wingstop took an idea from one woman in Buffalo New York, and turned it into a phenomenon.

While many fast-casual chains have roots in the northern United States, one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country is taking southern hospitality national and beyond: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Bringing the slow-smoked meats and comforting side dishes from the Lone Star State to 45 others, as well as internationally, is Roland Dickey Jr., the third generation to run the family-owned company since the original restaurant opened in 1941. Since becoming Chief Executive Officer of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. in 2006 Roland Jr. has sought to propel Texas barbecue to national heights, creating a deliberate and yet aggressive growth strategy that focuses on utilizing information technology to create data-driven results. Under his direction Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants quintupled its number of locations in just five years, making it the largest barbecue chain in the world. Ahead, we take a look at the history of Texas barbecue, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, and the strategies Roland Jr. implemented that made it a household name.

Texas barbecue roots

Although the Native Americans, Spanish, Mexicans, and black population practiced styles of barbecue across the country (and indeed even within the large state of Texas itself there are regional differences) Dickey’s owes its modern translation to the German and Czech immigrants who came to Central Texas in the mid-1800s. The hard-working settlers opened grocery stores and meat markets where they would smoke leftover meat to prevent it from spoiling, and because the slow-cooking process made the quality of the meat inconsequential it was considered a cheap option and soon became a popular choice for cowboys and cotton pickers. Because they were purchasing their meal from a grocery store rather than patronizing a restaurant, they would eat the barbecue off of the butcher paper it had been wrapped in, and for sides would pull the crackers, pickles, and onion that were commonly stocked on grocery store shelves. After the Civil War, cattle drives solidified the popularity of barbecue in Texas as cowboys drove longhorns northward along the famous Chisholm Trail all the way to Kansas City.

A family tradition

In 1941, World War I veteran Travis Dickey opened Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Dallas, Texas. An extremely personable man, Travis loved slow-smoked barbecue almost as much as he loved a good conversation, making a barbecue restaurant the perfect outlet. With an original menu consisting of just beef brisket, pit hams, barbecue beans, potato chips, beer, bottled milk, and sodas, Travis would work the pit and prepare all the meats while his wife Ollie Dickey would serve behind the counter. For over two decades the two of them worked together to run the little restaurant while also raising their sons Roland Sr. and T.D., raising them to develop the same passion for barbecue that so many other Texans felt.

When Travis Dickey died in 1967, he left a city mourning the loss of a great pit master. Although Roland Sr. was in college to become a lawyer at the time, he left to join T.D. in helping their mom run the restaurant, and soon found that the hickory wood pits where he had grown up were his true home. He started to develop his own recipes to compliment the ones his father had put in place, and their popularity saw them able to open additional locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. By 1994, the brothers realized that although demand was still growing for their signature meats and sides, they had reached capacity in the amount of locations they were able to manage on their own and worked to develop their first franchise location which is still operated by the original franchisees to this day. As the brand continued to grow in popularity they dipped their toes into new waters by opening a location outside of the state for the first time in Denver, Colorado.

To the next level

Like his father before him, Travis Dickey Jr. grew up hanging around the hickory wood pits, and even drove the company’s catering van as his first car. However, unlike his father he always knew that Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants was where he wanted to build his career. After graduating from college and spending a few years gaining experience at other companies he officially joined the family business, and by 2006 he became cChief Executive Officer for the company. Soon after taking over the global financial crisis triggered the Great Recession, and Roland Jr. knew that then more than ever people would be in search of delicious comfort food at affordable prices. He proposed they take Texas barbecue nationwide, pushing for rapid growth that would eventually see them rival fast-casual staples such as Chipotle or Pei Wei. In order to ensure Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants was prepared to take Texas barbecue to the masses, he made significant capital investments in information technology, marketing, advertising, construction, real estate management, logistics, accounting, and field operations. By 2015, there were over 500 Dickey’s Barbecue Pits across the United States.

In order to be competitive in any industry today one must keep up with the fast-evolving technological trends that have the ability to make businesses better. Roland Jr. recognized this from the beginning and working with his wife and marketing whiz Laura Rea Dickey they integrated information technology into their business model. Aptly naming the program Smoke Stack, the proprietary data platform allowed them to synthesize information from point-of-sale systems, marketing promotions, loyalty programs, customer surveys, and inventory systems. By combining key performance indicators from across their business, they were able to ensure every decision they made was backed by hard data. They were one of the first fast-casual chains to implement a third-party delivery program, launch a consumer app in the iOS store, and most recently have received acclaim for their work utilizing Amazon’s voice technology within restaurant operations.

For Roland Jr., it was clear that unlike many other regional cuisines, slow-smoked barbecue and southern comfort family-style sides had the ability to appeal to most taste buds and compete with other popular yet crowded options such as burgers or pizza. To take the regional vibe of Texas barbecue to a national audience, he knew that they had to find a sweet spot between honoring their history while also engaging on a broad scale. On one end of the spectrum, they found that trying to capture the local flavor by changing their barbecue sauce to match the tastes of other locations such as in Kansas City, St. Louis or Nashville was no match for remaining true to their Texas roots, and they eventually changed back to their original sauce recipe that had been in place since the original location opened. On the other end, at one of their first out-of-state locations they decorated the restaurant with Texas flags painted all along the walls, but soon found that evoking the feeling of a homey barbecue joint with wood beams and neon signs worked much better for a national brand.

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a national brand is consistency, and Roland Jr. has worked hard to ensure that their menu is consistent whether you are in Texas or Massachusetts. Even on a national scale, they source the best quality meat, can never contain preservatives, and must be smoked every day on-site. In some cases this even means teaming up with distribution companies to assure quality control in the national supply chain, such as with their Polish-style sausage which has been made by the same company for over two decades and is provided across the nation through US Foods trucks. In order to become an owner-operator of a restaurant, one must go through an intensive two-week training program entitled “Barbecue-U” where they learn how to run a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit from open to close and everything in between.

·       In 2016, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants had achieved such growth that the company restructured its leadership to better meet the demands of its growing business. Roland Jr. was made Chief Executive Officer of the newly created Dickey’s Capital Group, where he now oversees everything under the Dickey brand from real estate to retail products such as their signature barbecue sauce which was recently introduced as a product at Walmart. Thanks to Roland Jr.’s focus on quality, consistency, and scalable growth, he has successfully been able to turn the regional love of Texas barbecue into a national phenomenon, and with the recent announcement of multiple deals signed for international expansion of the brand in the UAE, Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Egypt, Georgia, and Australia, it’s clear that the world may soon be ready to as well.

Secrets of Highly Productive People: Roland Dickey Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group

While it may seem like successful people are the most educated, and talented people in any given room, more often than not this isn’t the case. Yes, successful people can be talented, smart and educated, but the true trait that all successful people have in common is their productivity. Look at the successful people around you, and you will notice that most of them are organized people who value their time and utilize it wisely. For them, productivity isn’t about being a workhorse, keeping busy or burning the midnight oil. Instead, it is about prioritization, planning and fiercely protecting your time. These are not innate qualities, but skills and habits that can be acquired with hard work and effort.

While being highly productive is a universal trait shared by all successful entrepreneurs and executives, much can still be gleaned in looking at the unique habits and philosophies of individuals who have had outstanding results in the business world. Today we explore Roland Dickey Jr., the award-winning Chief Executive oOfifcer of Dickey’s Capital Group. Based in Dallas, Texas, Dickey has worked for the family business for over a decade, during which time he focused on smart strategic growth and innovating technology usage in the fast-casual sector. A small local barbecue franchise when Dickey took the helm, thanks to these strategies and his highly productive skills and techniques the chain has added over 400 locations in five short years – including three internationally – which has led it to become the largest barbecue franchise in the world. The company has been profiled by Forbes Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine, and within the industry has earned awards such as “Best Franchise Deal” by QSR and “Best Food and Drink Franchise” by Global Franchises.

Background

Dickey’s grandfather Travis Dickey opened the original Dallas location of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in 1941– a location that is still serving barbecue from now 80-year old pits to this day. As the nation was emerging from the Great Depression, the World War I veteran sought to create a feeling of hominess and simplicity in his restaurant, with the original menu consisting of just beef brisket, pit hams, barbecue beans, potato chips, beer, bottled milk, and sodas. For over twenty years Travis and his wife Ollie single-handedly ran the restaurant themselves while also raising their sons Roland Sr. and T.D., who jointly took over the business after their father died in 1967.

When the brothers took over for their father, they both worked to put their own mark on the business. Roland Sr. began to develop his own recipes to compliment his father’s, expanding their menu and increasing their popularity to the point that they were able to open a second location, and then a third. Soon the brand was spread throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and the brothers realized that any further expansion efforts would stretch them too thin. Partnering with their first franchisees who still operate the restaurant to this day, 1994 saw the first Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurant franchise location open, and just four years later dipped their toes in markets outside of Texas with a location in Denver, Colorado.

Roland Dickey Jr. grew up in the barbecue business, and after graduating from college and spending a few years gaining experience at other companies, he stepped in to work with his father and uncle. By 2006 he had been made Chief Executive Officer of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., and when the global financial crisis triggered the Great Recession, like his grandfather before him, saw an economic downturn as a source of opportunity. Knowing that now more than ever was when people would be seeking delicious comfort food (and that the recession meant real estate prices had never been better) Dickey initiated a national push to grow the franchise considerably, making capital investments in information technology, marketing, advertising, construction, real estate management, logistics, accounting, and field operations to ensure the business could scale with success.

By 2015 there were over 500 Dickey’s Barbecue Pits in the United States, and one year later Dickey initiated a company leadership restructuring to better meet the demands of its growing business. Roland Jr. was made Chief Executive Officer of the newly created Dickey’s Capital Group, the parent company for everything under the Dickey’s brand including manufacturers, real estate, metal fabrication, distribution companies, retail products, and the franchise business. The company continues to expand today, with three existing international locations in the UAE, Singapore, and most recently Tokyo.

Standing morning meetings and single-thread ownership

Recurring meetings can have a reputation for being counterproductive, but when facilitated properly and organized around a shared goal, meetings can be an effective, collaborative way of keeping teams focused and in sync. Roland Jr. utilizes the consistent structure these meetings provide to make sure everything is par for the course and remaining productive. For him, standing meetings allow him to clarify goals and priorities, discuss potential roadblocks, and actually talk as a team about the work being done. In order to ensure that these meetings do not become counterproductive, Dickey makes sure that the meetings remain consistently at the same time, has clearly defined goals and are kept short. One way he ensures these meetings – and indeed the whole company – remain productive is through the concept of “single-thread owners.” In this business theory leaders are put in charge of one deliverable, valuable business outcome, and therefore allows them to stay focused on creating results without getting distracted or being held back by other aspects of the business. By employing these business practices, Dickey can ensure that his teams and his mornings remain highly productive.

Reading and researching

Across every sector, look at the habits of the most productive people and you will see one clear pattern: they are all voracious readers. From Elon Musk to Mark Cuban to Warren Buffet, entrepreneurs who devote their time to reading have proven to be some of the most productive. While it may seem like reading would be a major time-suck, it has been proven time and time again that reading can actually increase your productivity. Being productive isn’t about having more and more tasks done every day, but instead about accomplishing the most important goals consistently. Productivity is not only about doing, but also prioritizing, finding good solutions and successfully implementing them. For Dickey, reading and researching are a major source of new ideas, as well as a way to relax finding another point of view or story to immerse in. Stress can be a huge inhibitor of productivity, narrowing your mental judgement and at times leading you to make the wrong decisions. By devoting time to reading, Dickey is able to clear his mind while also boosting his creativity and gaining new knowledge that can be applied to his company.

Avoid multitasking

One crucial habit that Dickey has said keeps him productive as an executive is focusing on one thing at a time. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t possible for the human brain to do two things at once. When you think you are multitasking, you are actually just switching very quickly from one task to another, meaning that neither are truly getting your full concentration. When you are an entrepreneur or executive it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day and multitasking is an appealing idea to remedy this in theory. However, while it may feel like you are completing multiple things at once, you are more likely to make mistakes and less likely to come up with creative solutions to problems when neither is getting your complete and total focus. Dickey avoids checking his phone or reading emails unless he is devoting his complete time and attention to them, and takes walks every day to allow his brain time to think creatively without any other source of distraction.

Take risks

For Dickey, playing it safe within his organization results in the opposite of productivity. His motto is that if your business isn’t growing it’s shrinking, and by taking chances he opens up the opportunity for his company to innovate and gain anedge over the competition. In order to progress, choices are constantly being made, and recognizing that millions of decisions are constantly in flux aids in developing a productive risk environment. Accepting and constructively discussing the risks and results allow for continual improvements to be made throughout Dickey’s company, and while some of the risks might not pay off they always provide an opportunity to learn and make the business better.

Data-driven actions

In the same vein of taking risks comes taking calculated risks, something that Dickey is adamant about. His business philosophy is “what gets measured, gets managed” and he works to know what activities drive sales and keep costs in line. He has sought to utilize information technology in ways nobody else in the fast-casual industry has in the past, creating a proprietary data platform that allowed the business to synthesize information from point-of-sale systems, marketing promotions, loyalty programs, customer surveys, and inventory systems. Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants was also one of the first fast-casual chains to implement a third-party delivery program, launch a consumer app in the iOS store, and has even worked to utilize Amazon’s Alexa voice technology within their franchise restaurant operations. For Dickey, productivity within the business means always making the smart decision backed by hard data.

Thanks to Roland Dickey Jr., Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants has seen an explosive growth rate in the past fifteen years since he took the reins. By maximizing efficiency within his company and performing personal habits that affect his own productivity, Dickey has achieved the classification of a highly productive person.

Get to know Roland Dickey Jr. Here are 7 things you need to know about him!

1. Who is Roland Dickey Jr.?

   Roland Dickey Jr. is an American businessman and is the President and CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group, the holding company of Barbecue Restaurants Inc., an American barbecue franchise with over 500 locations.

2. When did Roland Dickey Jr. start working with Dickey’s?

   Roland Dickey Jr. joined Dickey’s in 1999, after several years of working for other brands in the restaurant industry. In 2006, he was named CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. By April 2013, he expanded the restaurant from 20 units to over 300 units. In 2017, Roland Dickey Jr. was named CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group, the parent company of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.

3. How is Roland Dickey Jr. related to Travis Dickey Sr.?

   Roland Dickey Jr. is the grandson of Travis Dickey Sr, a WW1 veteran and the founder of the family-owned Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants.

4. Where did Roland Dickey Jr. study?

   Roland Dickey Jr. earned his degree in Business Administration at Southern Methodist University.

5. Where does Roland Dickey Jr. live?

   Roland Dickey Jr lives in Dallas, Texas.

6. What is Roland Dickey Jr.’s mantra in life?

   Ensure quality and consistency and carefully push growth.

7. What does Roland Dickey Jr enjoy doing outside of work?

   Roland Dickey Jr enjoys spending time with family, traveling and is a voracious reader.

The 7 Benefits of Owning a Restaurant Franchise

Entrepreneurs who have thought about starting their own business but are unsure of where to start often turn to opening a franchise. Through franchising, separate business owners can open iterations of the same business model, all over the country. Typically, they invest their own money to start, go through a training and/or orientation program with the parent brand, then start collecting revenue from the operation of the business.

Among franchises, restaurant brands tend to be some of the most popular, due to their accessibility, recognition, and profitability.

So should you consider owning your own restaurant franchise?

Benefits of Owning a Restaurant Franchise

These are some of the best benefits of owning a restaurant franchise:

1. A reliable revenue stream (and sometimes multiple). First, restaurants are a proven business model in a popular industry, with a stable, predictable line of revenue. Restaurant performance isn’t inherently dependent on economic conditions or the whims of the populace; everyone needs to eat. As long as you implement proper strategy, you should be able to generate a reliable stream of revenue. In many cases, you can even generate multiple streams of revenue; for example, you might be able to provide both dine-in and delivery services, as well as retail items, and even catering.

2. Flexibility. The amount of flexibility you have will depend on the specific brand you’re working with. However, most restaurant brands will afford a great deal of flexibility to their franchise owners. You may be required to use the brand in certain ways (and avoid using it in others), such as using the right types of furniture and the right colors in the context of the business. However, you’ll be able to choose who you hire, set specific policies for your store, and choose how you manage and control expenses.

3. Independence. For many entrepreneurs, owning a business is all about independence. They don’t want to be dependent on an employer or a typical 9-to-5 job for their income. As a franchise owner, you are ultimately responsible for running your business. Your franchisor is more a partnership rather than a direct report, so in a franchise business you have autonomy to build your success.

4. Brand recognition. One of the advantages that restaurant brands have over other types of franchise brands is near-instant recognizability. Restaurant franchises are common all over the world, and most fast food, fast casual, and dine-in brands have become household names. If you elect to use this highly familiar branding, you’ll get instant trust and support from the local population. By contrast, if you try to start a brand of your own from scratch or opt to go with a start-up brand, you may need to spend months, or even years, building trust with an initial group of potential clients—and even then, there’s no real guarantee of success.

5. Easy financing. Depending on the type of franchise you’re opening and what the requirements of the brand are, you’ll need to put down somewhere between hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars. Fortunately, restaurant brands do well here; it’s generally easy for aspiring restauranteurs to get loans from banks, assuming you have experience and a decent business plan in place. Banks understand the restaurant industry and recognize major restaurant brands, so they’re more open to loaning to aspiring restaurateurs.

6. Training and support. Restaurant brands like Dickey’s Barbecue Pit want their franchise owners to be successful, no matter what. When you open a new franchise location, they’ll guide you through a few weeks to a few months of training, explaining not only the rules and restrictions for using the brand, but also the best practices that have led other franchise owners to succeed. After that, you’ll get more support and ongoing training to ensure you’re on the best possible path. My advice when looking for a franchise opportunity is to take into account the franchising experience of the franchisor and their longevity as a brand. While it might be exciting to get in on the ground floor of a new concept, if you’re a first time franchisee then you’ll want to look for a brand that has a deep history of industry experience and established resources to help you navigate the new waters of being a business owner.

7. Future opportunities. Opening a single restaurant franchise isn’t necessarily the end of the line. If you enjoy the work and you’re making a decent profit, you can open another location—and do it faster and more efficiently, since you already have direct experience. This way, you can quickly multiply your revenue stream.

Things to Keep in Mind

Of course, owning a restaurant franchise isn’t a guarantee of wealth. If you want to maximize your chances of success in the industry, you need to be 100 percent engaged in your business. A few things to keep in mind:

Employee turnover. Employee turnover in the restaurant industry is something like 60 percent. Losing employees (and needing to replace them) can make your restaurant more difficult to manage and eat into your bottom line. You’ll need a plan to keep your workforce stable and consistent.

Profit margins. In the restaurant industry, individual profit margins are relatively low. You’ll need to keep expenses in check and ensure you’re generating enough volume - even a small margin at large scale can turn an enormous profit.

Location dependence. Location is everything. Your volume and popularity are going to depend on your geographic positioning, even if you’re opening a franchise with an instantly recognizable name. Be sure and do your homework and make sure you pick a location that will attract plenty of guests.  

As long as you’re prepared for these challenges, you can come up with a strategy to overcome them.

If you’re interested in owning a restaurant franchise of your own, consider opening a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. We are currently the nation’s largest barbecue franchise and we offer 6 different revenue streams—a business model that has kept us going for nearly 80 years.

Happy National Barbecue Day!

Our National Barbecue Day message:

At Dickey's Barbecue Pit, everyday is #NationalBarbecueDay. To celebrate, find your closest store and try our Double Dip Sandwich, here for a limited time only. pic.twitter.com/8l14qGvThU

— Roland Dickey JR. (@RolandDickeyJR) May 16, 2019

Dickey’s Barbecue Franchise: Two Steppin’ For a Cause

Thursday night, February 28, 2019, I had the honor of attending Two Steppin’ for a Cause.  It was the inaugural event of The Dickey Foundation, the charitable foundation of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, and Cowboys Red River, a famous Dallas stomping ground.  It was a great night to honor first responders and raise funds to provide them with the protective gear they so desperately need.  The partnership between Dickey’s BBQ Franchise and Red River and donations raised resulted in The Dickey Foundation’s outfitting of the entire Duncanville Police Department with protective vests from Angel Armor. 

It’s during events like these that I feel incredibly humbled and proud of being the world’s largest barbecue chain because of what it has positioned us to give back through The Dickey Foundation.  Our guests love of our authentic Texas barbecue has expanded our family to hundreds of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchisees and millions of our extended family members dining at our place or theirs.  However, the true net worth of our barbecue legacy is deeply rooted in what we have been able to give back to the community.

I look forward to continuing our partnerships in the Dallas community and beyond with those who are as committed as Dickey’s to serving those who serve us. 

Dickey's Delivers: 2019 and Beyond

In 2018, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit launched Dickey’s Delivers system wide.  Our delivery initiative to bring guests our barbecue where they want it, when they want it is the initiative I am most proud of in 2018.  As we embark on 2019, our home office is optimizing for delivery and anticipating our guests needs every step of the way.  As outlined in this article from Nation’s Restaurant News, being good at delivery is mission critical for the fast casual industry, and at Dickey’s, being good isn’t how we got to be the biggest barbecue chain in the world- we’re the best at barbecue and we must and we will be the best at bringing our ‘cue to our guests.

Our Place or Yours

Delivery has become the next great adventure for many in the Fast Casual space, and Dickey’s is no exception. As aging Millennials with a good share of economic buying power demand convenience, restauranteurs are adapting to provide them with their food where they want it and when they want it.

At Dickey’s, an entire department is dedicated to building our off-premise sales to ensure we are meeting the needs of our guests. In addition, significant resources have been activated to build the technological infrastructure, operational guidelines and standards for Dickey’s Delivery experience.  As any CEO will tell you, launching any systemwide initiative that impacts how guests enjoy and experience our barbecue comes with its own set of challenges, which is why I always come back to the key reason we decided to launch delivery.

On any given week, there is a night Laura and I opt to stay in and have our dinner delivered to our home. We’ve had positive and negative experiences, favor certain packaging types over others and continue to have robust discussions surrounding what type of food we’ll be ordering.  There is a key component of our delivery evaluation that always solidifies a positive delivery from a poor delivery: the consistency between the delivery experience and the in-restaurant experience.  In other words, do I feel the same way about my meal eating it in the comfort of my own home as I would dining in the restaurant? 

The focus on experience, and for us, the experience of good barbecue, is what I believe has differentiated barbecue delivery from all others.  When you eat Dickey’s Texas-style barbecue, you expect to smell the hickory smoke, taste the tenderness of the brisket, see mouthwatering proteins and sides, hear country music in the background and perhaps wash it down with an ice-cold beer.  While we can’t control what our guests hear at home, we can ensure they have the best barbecue delivery experience that touches all their other senses. 

That’s why we’ve taken to asking our guests “Our place or Yours?” when they order. Authentic barbecue shouldn’t be limited to our stores because the experience should be available to anyone, anywhere. I look forward to delivering in 2019 bringing Legit. Texas. Barbecue. to families at our place or theirs.

A Blessed Tradition and a Bright Future

The holidays mean something special to all of us, because this time represents something deeper than a super sale or drop in temperature—it represents tradition. For the Dickey family, this season is marked by the start of a barbecue legacy. As that legacy turned one year older this October, I am reminded that sharing and carrying the traditions of my family through the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchise is my greatest blessing.

Every one of us has an history, but traditions behind those lineages are often unknown. As for me, the rituals and traditions of my family were passed down with a care and understanding that I always remember where my values originate. Those deep seeded values planted firmly by my family sprouted into what became the world’s biggest barbecue franchise. I belong to a legacy which still stands like an unwavering hickory tree grounded by its’ roots and continues to climb to new heights and branch outward and onward year after year. It is my privilege to know where this journey began, and thereby I make it my duty to share its’ glory and take the world’s greatest barbecue where it has yet to go. With this, I write to the following groups who have helped make us, shape us or will take us to the place where this legacy has yet to live.

To our millions of guests:

It has been my distinct honor to continually serve each and every one of you for the past 77 years. You’ve graciously let us into your communities, homes and hearts and so we thank you for letting us in and giving us a seat at the table.

To my extended family:

I’m thankful to all of you, who not only believe in our barbecue and this business model, but also share and embody the values I hold dear. It is my hope that every Dickey’s franchise owner knows that true to form I’ll always support you and see your success through. Lastly, it is because of the work you do that we can facilitate the spirit of community and share delicious Legit. Texas. Barbecue. all around the world.

Lastly, I speak to anyone searching to start their own legacy or become a part of a legacy already in place to please know this: The tallest trees have the deepest roots, and the organizations that successfully stand the test of time always know you can’t get where you want to go, if you don’t know where you’ve been. 

While our holidays may differ and how we celebrate this season is unique to each of us, we all hold dear memories rooted in our own family traditions. Ask anyone what their holiday rituals include, and you’ll find most recollections include a certain dish or an annual party. For the Dickey’s, this season is marked by the start of a barbecue journey, and as the legacy grows, I am reminded that what I’m able to carry on for my family is not a blessing—but a privilege.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Franchise system, our extended Family

The energy of the Dickey’s brand, at the Home Office and amongst franchisees, is palpable as we enter the heart of the fourth quarter and the holiday season kicks into full swing.  Our system is experiencing a great boost in sales, we’ve engaged new internal and external partners and all the hard work is resulting in greater profitability for our franchisees.

After the restaurant recession in 2016, our system experienced challenges, we believe it is the strength of our family franchise that has enabled the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brand, and Dickey’s franchise system, to flourish. 

Family is at the core of what defines the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.  And at Dickey’s, family means so much more than being a direct descendant of my grandfather, Travis Dickey, or my father, Roland Dickey, or my wife, Laura Rea Dickey. Of course, there would be no Dickey’s Barbecue Pit without the Dickey Family, but there would be no name recognition of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit without Dickey’s franchisees who have embraced my family’s love of Legit. Texas. Barbecue. and shared it with their communities. The Dickey’s brand is comprised of our family, from the Home Office to every single franchisee from Oahu to Omaha, and Akron to Abu Dhabi. 

I firmly believe the Dickey’s BBQ Franchise is the biggest and best in the world because of our collective commitment to authentic, Texas-style barbecue. We frequently say that our barbecue is a process, not processed, and I believe the same holds true for our franchise system.

Throughout our 25 years as a franchise, we’ve shared successes and struggles and will continue to do so as we expand both stateside and nationally. As the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brand, we share more than just my grandfather’s name. We share a passion for barbecue and a drive to master the process of perfecting it, and those who share and espouse these standards are the pulse of our Dickey’s Barbecue franchise family.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit Franchise heads north to Canada

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is now bringing Legit. Texas. Barbecue. to our northern neighbor, Canada. Continuing our international expansion in 2019, there will be 20 stores opening in Edmonton, Alberta, Calgary, Regina, Saskatchewan and Saskatoon. Check out this great article to find out more. I couldn’t be more proud of the Dickey’s team.

https://www.fastcasual.com/news/dickeys-fires-up-canadian-expansion/

Legit. Texas. Barbecue. arrives in the Middle East

The Dickey’s team has recently introduced a brand line that describes the heart and soul of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.  Under the leadership of my wife, Laura Rea Dickey, we announced what I believe to be the perfect description of our brand: Legit. Texas. Barbecue.

Legit. Texas. Barbecue. encompasses who we are as a brand and what sets us apart from the competition.  I believe our authenticity is rooted deep in my family history and defined by our artisan approach to barbecue: pit-smoking our meats low and slow, overnight, every night.  A technique that results in Texas style barbecue served daily to barbecue lovers in Dickey’s Barbecue Pit franchises across the nation. 

As I reflect on this brand line, I believe my grandfather and Dickey’s original founder, Travis Dickey, would nod his head in approval.  Our Legit process for smoking our meats has developed barbecue enthusiasts of all ages, and now, across the world.  On October 12, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opened our first international location in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  The store opening was an amazing success.

I am incredibly proud of the team at Dickey’s, particularly my wife, Laura Rea Dickey, for her dedication to Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. as CEO, our international expansion and her hard work behind the scenes. I’m especially pleased with the seamlessness of the opening events for our Abu Dhabi store. We have an excellent international partner in Serenity Hospitality, who is committed to bringing the Middle East Legit. Texas. Barbecue. I feel fortunate to collaborate with a great partner, look forward to their future developments and appreciate our shared love of our Texas style barbecue. 

In a few months, I’ll be traveling to Dubai, where our second international location will open.  To be honest, I am humbled that Dickey’s Barbecue has transcended 77 years and into an entirely new continent.  It’s an honor to lead my family business and ensure the legacy of our Legit. Texas. Barbecue. carries on for many years to come.  

How is net worth truly measured?

“Not everything that can be counted counts. Not everything that counts can be counted.” -William Bruce Cameron

When describing net worth, it’s simple to calculate it with hard numbers, data and assumptions surrounding financial performance. But I get caught on that word “worth” – isn’t there more to it than that? Shouldn’t personal values be figured into a person’s worth as well?

In the strictest terms, net worth is defined as everything you own of significance minus what you owe in debts. But who determines what is “significant”? Who says gross profit is more significant than charitable giving or enjoying the sunset in Key West?  My wife, Laura, and I try to consider a more inclusive idea of “net worth” when we face a decision. To us, true net worth includes:  

Knowledge

Knowledge can’t always be measured, but there is a wealth in knowledge that’s crucial to fulfillment in life. The possibility of education surrounds us, whether from a classroom, from your parents or from your work. I had the opportunity to learn by watching my dad run a business, and now that I’m the one running it, I try to keep an open mind to the opportunities around me to learn and improve. Away from work, I’m committed to learning as I read about the historical greats of our time. Someone else’s life challenges and successes can be a treasure trove of insight and new perspectives.  

Perspective

When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by planes and aviation. I now get to travel quite a bit, and I love how this life-long passion is a regular part of my career. But it’s shown me something else – the value of perspective. Just as my view from a plane makes small details vanish and a larger vista emerge, taking a broader view allows me to freshly consider everything from large business decisions to where we might go on our next long weekend getaway. I try not to let the many details of the decisions we need to make every day cloud my vision of the bigger picture.

Charity Work

It has been so rewarding to me to devote time and energy into giving to others, particularly our own charity, The Dickey Foundation. What a feeling to know that, due to the hard work of our foundation and the generosity of the Dallas community, we’ve helped the Dallas Police Department be safer as they keep us safe: we’ve helped provide them top-of-the-line ballistic armor. Our foundation has given each Dickey’s Barbecue Pit a way to add even more worth to their communities by giving back to their first responders.

Family

A tremendous value throughout my life has been how family and business overlap for me. I know it’s a rare gift to be able to say that my most revered business mentors are my own father and grandfather. Working with them – and being trained and trusted to lead the family business – has meant a great deal to me. And if I thought I appreciated them before, the time when I didn’t work with them really made me see how fortunate I had been when we were side by side. Family can be blood relatives or your closest confidants; whatever you consider family, cherish them. Otherwise, your accomplishments mean little.

As important as these topics are, they are only a handful of what I believe totals to genuine net worth. And I know that formula is going to be different for each person. I encourage you to take a little time to reflect on what adds up to your own net worth. I offer my list to give you a start.

Dickey's CEO comments on 2018 fast casual trends

https://www.fastcasual.com/articles/dickeys-freshii-leaders-predict-2018-restaurant-trends/

Don’t Drop It!

Lean manufacturing experts have long been using an upside-down pyramid to draw their org charts. I have always liked this view as it symbolizes how the most important people in the organization – those at the top – are the line workers, carried by the leader at the bottom. 

Sometimes it can feel as if – as leaders – we are holding that inverted pyramid with just a thin stick, like a juggler would hold a spinning plate. Not an easy thing to do! The slightest mistake, and the plate comes crashing down in front of us.  

The difference to a plate juggler, though, is that the pyramid is not just made of plastic. In organizations, this pyramid is really made of its people, culture, mission, values, strategy, policies, processes and so much more. Like it or not: All of the good and the not-so-good things are in there. Feeling the pressure, yet? 

Once I picture myself balancing this "pyramid", a few things become clear:  

1. You need something that keeps it all together

No matter how you structure your pyramid (which processes, systems, priorities, culture etc), trust is the glue that keeps it all together. Trust is the most fundamental part of your organization’s health. You need your pyramid to be as compact as possible, and the more glue (trust) you have to keep the components from shifting against each other, the better. 

Lesson: Always seek the truth and build trust in your organization. There are many ways to build trust. One great way is to give people a voice when making decisions that impact them!

2. Alignment about Direction 

As any decent juggler will tell you, if you want to move that spinning plate above your head in a new direction, you need to adjust your own movements to those of the plate, first. So, if the plate is moving to the right, and you want to move it to the left, you first need to bring yourself to the right of the plate in order to slow it down and to eventually move it left. If you don't, you will lose balance and the plate will fall. 

Similarly, if you try to move your organization in a new direction without alignment, the pyramid will tip and fall. Alignment doesn’t mean everyone does what the leader says. It means everyone is on the same page.  

Lesson: On strategic changes, build broad support in your organization. Address those who are impatient, those who worry, and those who resist. No, its not a vote, but by getting greater acceptance in your team, your decisions will ultimately be more effective. Communicate, communicate, and communicate.   

3. Getting Whacked

Sometimes when you juggle plates, someone comes along and whacks your stick from the side. It may just be some good-natured fun, but you end up having to recover. 

In business, not every directional change can be well-thought out, strategized and debated. Sometimes in business, too, you get “whacked” - as Jack and Suzy Welch put it in “The Real-Life MBA.” Getting whacked can come in different forms: a new competitor, and vendor who goes out of business, a recession, a natural disaster.  

To recover, you may need to change direction quickly, and your ability to recover may not hinge on alignment in your organization: It may be all about capabilities. Is your organization capable of moving quickly, and of adapting to the new demands? Are your processes and systems flexible enough? Is the culture in your company allowing mutual support of teammates, or do people stay in silos, protecting their own turf?  

If the people in your organization are willing but not able to move quickly enough, your pyramid will undoubtedly fall after being whacked. 

Lesson: Use any opportunity to build and grow your organization’s capabilities. Employees will thank you for it, and you will thank them for being able to take on new challenges when you need them too. Quickly. 

Lastly, what I like most about the "upside down pyramid" is that it shows so well the weight of responsibility that lies on the shoulder of the leader. The people "above" you rely on you to do a good job. They rely on you with their dreams and with their livelihoods. You owe it to them to keep the pyramid in balance: relentlessly build trust, ensure alignment, and build your team's capabilities. 

Lombardi Time

Vince Lombardi - loved by some, feared by others, but respected by all was arguably the greatest football coach of all time and is on the short list of history’s greatest coaches, regardless of the sport.  His ability to teach, motivate and inspire players helped turn the Green Bay Packers in to a dominating NFL team in the 1960s. Lombardi was also a thoughtful man with uncommon passion, a motivator with uncompromising values, and a leader with unprecedented wisdom and authority. He loved to win and taught others the discipline to achieve victory.

The phrase Lombardi time is coined from Vince Lombardi. He required his team to be early.  It meant that processes would run smoothly and no time would be lost waiting. It also showed respect and was a required discipline to be on his winning team.   Disciplined People, Disciplined Thought, and Disciplined Action.  It’s the formula Jim Collins provides in Good to Great, “A culture of discipline is not a principle of business; it is a principle of greatness.”

Having a great idea, and assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a successful business. While finding a new and unique idea is rare enough; the ability to successfully execute this idea is what separates the dreamers from the entrepreneurs.  “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will,” said Lombardi. And the discipline or will to manage your time is part of the package.

Why subscribe to Lombardi time?

1. Time is an irreplaceable resource

Each second that becomes part of your past will never be part of your present or future ever again. Using each second, minute and hour of the day efficiently is the difference between winning and losing.

2. Move your flywheel

By taking control of your time, you're able to stay focused on the task at hand. This leads to higher efficiency since you never lose momentum (i.e. moving the Flywheel). Lombardi states, “The only place 'success' comes before 'work' is in the dictionary.”  This is true but working smarter is the key.

3. See the big picture

When you practice good time management, you are able to see big picture decisions better.  It starts with arriving at meetings early to gauge the landscape and plan strategy for a more effective discussion.  In addition, when you feel pressed for time, you're more likely to jump in to decisions and not fully consider alternate options.

4. Be more successful

Time management is the key to success; it allows you to take control of your business rather than follow the flow of others. You accomplish more, you make better decisions, and you work more

Lombardi said, “I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."  Mr. Lombardi was a smart man.  Leaders have a host of responsibilities that keep their schedules packed. From managing teams, to securing new vendors, leaders are tasked with juggling multiple projects at once. Effective leaders ensure that they maximize their time and accomplish their goals. They win, at all costs.

Battle to be the Best

“Every battle is won before it is fought."

-Sun Tzu

These lines come from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, a guide to military strategy written more than two thousand years ago. Why is this still relevant to the barbecue business and part of my leadership strategy today? The Art of War lays out a brilliant philosophy that has proven itself in all types of competitive endeavors. It’s remarkable how the same lessons are discovered again and again.  We apply these techniques to our service model in order to stay fresh and relevant in the industry.

Not a great deal is known about Sun Tzu the man, but his instructions for victory have taken on new meaning for business leaders such as myself. As Rick Wartzman, executive director of The Drucker Institute, wrote last year in Forbes, “Ask businesspeople to peg the writer whose thinking is most clearly reflected in both military and corporate circles, and odds are that you’ll hear the name.” 

"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril" - Sun Tzu

Business has always been challenging, but as competition becomes more global and moves at a faster-pace, it has increased its edge. Business intelligence is crucial to learning competitor's strengths and weaknesses and understanding the capabilities of our own company. At Dickey’s we work at understanding the nuances that make us a growing brand.  Understanding that big picture is how we stay relevant. 

Sun Tzu gives us strategy from a warrior’s perspective.  Although we’re not at war, we are committed to actions that march our brand forward and bring our guests value. Strategy does not eliminate risk but it does help us approach the right risks. Innovation is at its core, an act of discovery, in which we must embrace the uncertainty of the environment, exploring it for opportunities and ways to serve better.

In other words, it’s the science of making good decisions about the future. It starts with the mission of the company and knowing what we stand for. After that, strategy must consider how the climate is changing in order to remain innovative and fresh. Not war but a great strategy for the art of great barbecue.