Dan T Cathy | LIVE. LOVE. LEAD.

Being a Contagious Parent

The word “legacy” is a popular idea to put in business books. When applied to corporations and companies, it speaks to our ability to shape a culture that extends and grows beyond our presence there. It speaks to the opportunity to start something that is continued long after you’ve retired. And it’s a good idea that often motivates some smart business decisions since it reframes our thinking from short term, to long term.

But how does the word “legacy” apply to our families? How does that word apply to our relationships with our kids? What does it mean to create a legacy in the context of being a mom or a dad?

I thought about that as I sat across the desk from a young man who wanted to work at Chick-fil-A. He was a great candidate but something puzzled me. I knew his father was a very successful lawyer and I was confused at why this young man didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. So I asked him, and his answer was very telling. “My dad was never around for our family. He missed every game or event I had as a kid. I would never do that to my family. I would never be absent like that.”

The legacy he was given was certainly not the one his father intended. Hard work, determination, perseverance. Those are probably the words his dad would have liked to pass on to his son, but somehow things got tangled up. Somehow, the things he passed on instead made his son yearn for a career different than his dad’s.

I think this kind of thing often happens because as parents we don’t take the time to think about being “contagious.” I know that’s an odd word, but it’s the one I think fits the best. As a parent, I think part of our job is to be contagious and infect our kids with the best of what we’re capable of. The joy, the hope, the hard work, the trust in the Lord. We’ve got so many wonderful things to hand down to our kids. But when we get distracted, when we lose our focus, we might end up being shocked what they’ve picked up from the way we live our lives.

Today’s resolution, the thing I’m going to think about, is how I’m being contagious for my kids? What kind of legacy am I leaving for them?

Is it the one I think it is, or like that father, would I be surprised to hear what they would say I’ve passed on?

Feb 1 2 Comments

Relationships & Receipts

I think a lot about those two words. On the one hand, as one of the leaders of Chick-fil-A, I spend a lot of time with receipts. On the other hand, as a father and a husband, relationships are constantly on my mind. But in the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about how those overlap.

Sometimes, it’s easy to think about receipts. Finances, profits, bank account slips, those things are built on data. Black and white numbers that are straight forward and concrete. Relationships are messier. They move slowly and get tangled with feelings and emotions. It’s tempting to spend all our time on the “receipts of life.” To think that the numbers we control matter more than the relationships we participate in. Lately though, I’ve seen what can happen when you focus on both.

Buy one get one free. Half off Fridays. Bring in a friend, get a free meal. There’s no shortage of one time promotions your business can run. And the truth is, that more than likely, doing one of those will drive higher receipts for you that day. Maybe even that whole week. It’s really hard though to drive a long term relationship though with a receipt. It’s a great instant boost, but once the dust clears, things haven’t really changed.

That’s why, instead of spending much time and energy on short term receipt promotions, we’ve learned to do things like daddy daughter date night. Just like it sounds, that’s simply a special night when we invite dads and daughters to join us at Chick-fil-A on a date. And although it might not drive the instant sales and receipts as other promotions, you should see the relationships it builds. You should see how dressed up those daughters get. You should see how proud those dads are. You should see the long term impact a simple event like that has on Chick-fil-A.

Each day we have the chance to choose between relationships and receipts. I hope today you’ll pause long enough to explore which option might be best for your vision and your company for the years to come.

*Note: The image comes from a recent Daddy Daughter Date Night at a Chick-fil-A in Olathe Pointe. That smile says it all.

Jan 27 2 Comments

Leading with Focus

I have a friend who used to own a chain of stores. The particular industry doesn’t matter because what happened to him can happen in any industry. It’s a short story about how quickly the thing you love can fade away if you lose focus.

There was once a time when passengers would land at a nearby airport and airline employees would encourage them to visit my friend’s stores. “You must go while you’re in town. Please don’t leave without visiting that store.” These are the kind of things they would say. Unprovoked. Unasked. Strangers would tell other strangers how great the experienced was. And so the stores grew and grew and grew.

But something happened along the way. Something that happens often when you get successful at one thing. A second “thing” appeared. An opportunity to explore a new industry appeared on the horizon. It looked good, it might have even looked great, but it cost something very, very expensive.

It cost focus.

In order to try the second thing, my friend and his family had to take their eyes off their first thing. They had to divide their attention and shift their focus. In the process of doing that, something was lost. Momentum died. The stores that strangers used to shout from the rooftops lost some of the shine. A few short years later, they fell on hard competition and a tough economy. They were forced to sell their stores.

The business applications are easy.

If you lose focus, if you get distracted, your business will suffer.

But I think there are family implications as well. I think the same principle holds true in marriages. When you get distracted by work, or emails, or outside commitments and take your eyes of growing your marriage, things suffer. When you lose focus on your friendships or your family, things don’t shine nearly as bright as they could.

It’s easy to get distracted these days. There are so many fun opportunities for us to chase.

But remember, when you find a new one to say “yes” to, you’re also saying “no” in some ways to one you’ve already committed to.

And focus is a very expensive thing to lose.

Jan 25 1 Comments

The Power of a Good Story

This is about a piece of paper. It’s about a small scrap of paper no bigger than a credit card. It’s about a few sentences that make all the difference for a business dating back to 1928. But now we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves.

A few years ago, I met a man named Allen Behar. Based out of Miami, Allen’s story actually beings in pre-revolutionary Cuba with his father, Ike. The youngest of three brothers, Ike learned the fine art of custom-tailoring at the shop owned by his father, Samuel Behar. By the age of 17, Ike was making custom shirts to compliment the suits his father created.

Taking the craft to America, Ike continues to supply some of the best shirts in the world to the best stores in the world. And along the way, he’s taught people like me an important lesson, all with a piece of paper.

The paper in question is a note that hangs on every shirt. It’s the history of Ike Behar’s shirts. A history of commitment to excellence that exhibits Samuel Behar’s credo:

“Hard work and an uncompromising dedication to one’s craft is the only way to achieve perfection.”

And contained within those few sentences of copy is something much bigger than just a paragraph of text. Contained in those sentences is one of the reasons people are willing to pay the premium price. Contained in those sentences is a story.

That’s the difference between good companies and great companies. That’s the difference between good leaders and great leaders. The ability to tell a story, to create a three dimensional, inspiring view of life is a powerfully important thing. A story that people can believe in and remember and repeat. And in a world continually cluttered with noise and busyness, we all need to learn how to tell better stories.

It probably costs Allen a dollar to put that piece of paper on every shirt. On a spreadsheet that investment might not make sense. But there is a confidence that grows in the mind of the customer against all the other choices they might have when it comes to shirts as they read that story. Ultimately, the value Allen gains from it and the value you can too from telling smart stories, is immeasurable.

What story are you telling?

Jan 20 0 Comments

Dr. Billy Graham and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What do you think about when you think of Dr. Billy Graham? I think of the pulpit. I think of a Bible held tightly in a hand and a crowd that seems to stretch for miles and a fire for the gospel. I think of Franklin Graham, his son, and crusades around the world. But thanks to a recent trip to see Dr. Graham, I have a new story to think about.

Decades ago, when there was a racial tension that is hard to imagine in this country, Dr. Graham did what he believed was the right thing to do. He proclaimed that none of his crusades would ever be segregated. He swore that he would always welcome men and women of all backgrounds to his crusades. And he received death threats as a result.

It didn’t change his stance. It didn’t change his decision. It didn’t change the joy he experienced traveling with Dr. King in Brazil. Can you imagine that ticket? Dr. King and Dr. Graham touring Brazil together?

I am thankful for the boldness of both men. Thankful that God still gives brave hearts and big messages to his people. And above all, I am hopeful that we can continue to make difficult decisions when we all have the chance to do the right thing in our lives.

Jan 19 0 Comments

The Little Relationships in Life

“Creativity” is a difficult word to define but one definition I like is actually pretty simple: “Creativity is a wild mind with a disciplined eye.” What that means is that you have the ability to put lots of different ideas and information into your mind. You read a book, you go to a play, you watch the colors of a sunset and have a conversation with a friend. And then you have the discipline to see the relationship between all of the different ideas in a new way. You link a cow to a chicken to a campaign about a restaurant. You link ancient mythology to a running sneaker and a swoosh and a tagline of “Just Do It.”

You find the relationship between previously unrelated things.

I think that’s one of our biggest challenges when it comes to making and keeping resolutions. It’s the middle of January, the fun and ease of keeping the hopes we started the year with have faded a little. We’ll have to grind it out from here on out. And as we face that season, I think we can benefit from simply seeing the connections between two things.

That’s not encouraged often in society right now. We like to point the finger, to “blamestorm” if you will. But there’s powerful truth in seeing the cause and effect of life, in understanding the consequences of our actions.

I realized one at work a few months ago. I like donuts. That does not make me very unique, donuts are very likable pastries. But one morning at about 10, after a breakfast of donuts, I noticed a sudden wave of exhaustion. I had slept enough. I was actively exercising most days. Every other aspect of my life was monitored and measured, so why his sudden sleepiness? I missed it at first, because it was small. But after some careful consideration, I found the culprit.

The donuts.

I was reacting to the downside of a sugar rush. Sweets had temporarily energized me that morning, a brief but real burst of sugar driven energy was now disappearing. And on it’s heels came what felt like unexpected sleepiness. But it wasn’t unexpected. I had simply missed the relationship between my breakfast and my energy levels.

I didn’t swear off donuts that morning, but I did learn a lesson. Even something small, like a glazed donut can have a consequence.

And I don’t want to miss the relationships that exist in my day, even the tiny ones.

Jan 18 2 Comments

The Need to Remember

It’s easy to forget sometimes. It’s easy to get busy and noisy with our days until things that happened weeks ago, months ago, or years ago simply fade into the grey corners of our memories. But there are some moments so indelible to who we are as a country and as a people, that we must never forget. Today we celebrate one.

Over the last few months I’ve had the privilege to become friends with Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter. We’ve talked about change and hope and what it means to grow up with a father who leads a nation through both. We’ve talked about a man who became an activist and a scholar in forty short years. We’ve talked about what it really means to have freedom and justice for all.

I’ve learned a lot from our conversations but perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is the value of remembering. Of not letting moments from the past disappear. I’ve learned that we need to remember our heroes and teach new generations about the leaders who changed our generation.

I attended three Martin Luther King Jr. events this weekend and the more I learn, the more my respect and admiration grows. I don’t know how you’ll spend today, but I hope you’ll spend it remembering. Remembering the sacrifice and hope that a man named Martin Luther King Jr. inspired in all of us.

Jan 15 0 Comments

Support Where It’s Needed Most

It’s impossible to grasp the amount of destruction and devastation that the recent earthquake has caused the nation of Haiti. In times like these it’s easy to see the news reports and feel helpless. To feel as if there isn’t anything you can do.

Fortunately, people like Franklin Graham are changing all of that. In addition to being a good friend of mine, Franklin leads a ministry organization called “Samaritan’s Purse.” Internationally known for their aid efforts, Samaritan’s Purse is helping lead the relief effort.

Click here to get involved with the work they are doing right now to help the tens of thousands of people who have been impacted.

The thoughts and prayers of the entire Chick-fil-A family go out to the great nation of Haiti.

Jan 13 3 Comments

Relevance and Kindness

The word “relevance” gained a lot of momentum in the last ten years. As the Internet made it easier to research and plug into communities, corporations started to put more and more attention toward the goal of being relevant. And as we often do, we started to believe that we invented the concept of cultural relevance. That perhaps we were the pioneers of this business approach.

Recently, Dr. Billy Graham showed me how wrong that thought is.

Part of the reason we care about relevance is that right now, people have so many different options when it comes to how they spend their time and their money. Think about it, thirty years ago there were only a handful of magazines available on the stands. You either got Life or Time Magazine or maybe National Geographic. Your options were extremely limited. Those publications didn’t need to worry about being terribly relevant. They were the only game in town. If you wanted a magazine, you had to buy one of those.

But today, your magazine choices are endless. There are dozens if not hundreds of options available and they all have to be incredibly applicable to what their particular niche audience cares about. But what about Dr. Graham? How does he fit into this conversation?

Well, early on in his career, Dr. Graham became just about the only option when it came to evangelists in America. He was the one who prayed with the presidents. He was the one taking God’s message around the world. He was the one on TV. And when he was on one channel, he was shown in 33% of the homes in the country because there were only about three channels at the time. He had the sort of legacy and reach that didn’t require him to worry too much about local relevance. And yet, he did.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Graham told me that months before he went somewhere, he would subscribe to the newspaper of the town he was visiting. For weeks and weeks he would pour over the issues that mattered to the people who mattered to him. He would invest time and thought and prayer into a region long before he got there. Today, we’d call that “building relevance.”

Dr. Graham would probably call that “living compassionately.”

Caring about the things people care about is a great way to show kindness and grace to the people in our lives. Whether that means attending a coworker’s softball game or reading up on an issue you know a family member is deeply invested in. It’s an incredibly easy way to show somebody that they matter to you.

Today’s I want you to do something simple – find one way to be relevant.

Think about the people you interact with everyday. What do they care about and how can you show them you care about it too?

Jan 11 11 Comments

Learning to Share Like a Leader

In the last few years, I’ve had the unexpected privilege of becoming friends with Dr. Billy Graham. In addition to being one of the millions of people across the world that has benefited from his faith and his willingness to share the gospel, I’ve actually had the chance to spend time with him at his home in North Carolina.

Someday, I should try to write a book about the things I’ve learned in those short visits, but having recently gone up to see him, I thought I would share a few thoughts with you on this blog. Over the next few days, I hope to do just that.

But before I do, before I can tell you about the newspaper and the hall of photos and the Christmas songs, I need to explain one leadership principle first. It doesn’t have a fancy title or even an acronym. In fact, it can actually be summed up in one word:

Share.

It’s the kind of thing we all learned in grade school. When you have something good, share it with the people around you. Simple principle, but yet it’s easy to forget.

We get caught up in our own “stuff.” We’ve got meetings and phone calls and emails and text messages and grocery lists and a thousand other things that jockey for our time. And in the midst of that, we forget to share. We forget to invite other people into the special experiences and opportunities we’re given. But, as a leader, you’ve got to share.

It’s part of your responsibility to invite people up on the platform you’ve some how been given. The platform isn’t yours. In fact the bigger it gets, the more people I think you’re supposed to invite on to it.
So when I was offered the chance to visit Dr. Graham at his home, one of the first things I did was invite two other leaders.

I’m not the only one that can benefit from hearing Dr. Graham share from the heart. I’m not the only one that needs to be renewed and refreshed by a trip up to North Carolina. I’m not the only leader that needs a fresh challenge from one of the greatest church leaders of our lifetime.

And you know what happens when you share? The moment and the memory are multiplied exponentially. Instead of just a few hours with Dr. Graham, I got to spend an entire day with leaders. The way up and the way down wasn’t simply me alone with my thoughts. It was a time spent in conversation and encouragement with two other people that shared my excitement for the day.

Plus, that moment will forever be something we share. My relationship with those two leaders was strengthened and stretched. We got to learn together and grow together. Why? Because I shared.

I don’t know how you spend the hours of your day, but I do know one thing. You’ve got something going on that one of your friends or coworkers or family members would love to be a part of. It might be as simple as a new coffee house you discovered or a project you were asked to work on that has high visibility. Regardless of what it is, there’s stuff you could be sharing. Today. Right now even.

And as a leader who has benefited from both sharing and being shared with, I encourage you to take a risk. I encourage you to share.

I think you’ll be surprised at the results.

Who can you share with?

What Business Are You In?

What’s in a Pepper Grinder?

Wow.

Taking Time to be Together