I remember a quiz or poll that came my way sometime in my mid 20s at my previous job before I joined Branded.
The poll asked something like this:
Do you feel like you work harder or do more work than your boss?
The follow-up question was something like this:
If you answered yes, do you wish you received more of the credit, recognition, and accolades for that work?
I'm not going to sit here and unpack the psychology of those questions, how I answered them then, or how I'd answer them now. The more interesting question is: what made this memory randomly resurface 20+ years later?
That question I am going to answer. And I'm also going to give you some homework. Stay with me. I promise it's a fun assignment. 😊
I recently went to a local diner (as a native New Jesey girl, diners are our thing) and noticed an Employee of the Month photo hanging behind the host stand that also doubles as a register (because, diners).
Man, when was the last time I saw one of those?
Since then, I've spent way too much bandwidth thinking about the hard-working, incredibly deserving, often overlooked people who keep our restaurants running every single day. Where are their Employee of the Month plaques? Better yet, when was the last time we publicly celebrated the people who quietly make everyone else's success possible?
And before anyone comes for me, I'm not suggesting that leaders running our kitchens, leading shifts, managing events, building catering programs, coaching teams, or solving problems before anyone else even realizes there's a problem aren't getting recognized.
Many are. They get the promotion, the raise, the bonus, the "great job" from their boss, and even the occasional company shout-out.
But when it comes to external recognition, industry awards, nominations, and public acknowledgment, there has historically been an entire category of hospitality professionals who rarely find themselves in the spotlight.
I'm talking about the people who make everyone around them look good but don't necessarily have "VP" in their title. You know who they are! They're the managers who know every employee's schedule, every guest complaint, every piece of equipment that's making a weird noise, and somehow still jump in to expo when the kitchen gets slammed.
It's the kitchen manager who quietly coaches a struggling line cook, the shift leader who trains every new hire, the chef who develops future leaders, and the area manager who spends more time celebrating their team's wins than talking about their own.
The hospitality industry is full of these people. And you know what? Most of them probably aren't asking for recognition, but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter.
I think about this often when I attend industry events. The keynote speakers are amazing.
The CEOs deserve their stage. The founders have incredible stories. But I also find myself wondering about the people who aren’t sitting in the audience but would benefit the most from being in the room.
Where is (and who is) the GM who held the restaurant together during a staffing crisis?
Where is (and who is) the kitchen manager who mentored three future leaders this year?
Where is (and who is) the shift leader who everyone wants on the schedule because they make the entire operation better?
Where is (and who is) the emerging leader whose name most of us don't know yet, but absolutely should?
And now here is the homework I promised!
But first, let me tell you about LEAD. (And not to bury the lead, pun intended, I am a proud member of the LEAD Council). LEAD is a nonprofit organization that provides emerging restaurant and hospitality leaders with an affordable platform for networking, learning from industry experts, and personal development.
Maybe the Employee of the Month plaque is a little old school. But the idea behind it isn't.
So let me now tell you about LEAD’s search for the Top 20 Emerging LEADers in Hospitality. Consider this a virtual Employee of the Month program for our industry. A chance to recognize the people whose impact deserves to be seen beyond the four walls of their restaurant.
This isn't about recognizing the people who already have the spotlight. It's about recognizing the people earning it. The future executives. The future CEOs. The people who are already making an impact long before their LinkedIn headline catches up.
So here's my ask:
Think about someone you've worked with, learned from, been inspired by, or watched grow. The person who consistently goes the extra mile. The person who makes everyone around them better. The person whose name deserves to be heard a little louder.
And now here is your homework:
Nominate them by clicking HERE.
Because while everyone notices when something drops, not enough people notice how much is carried. This is our chance to recognize some of the people doing the carrying.
And if that old poll ever finds its way to them, they just might have a different perspective on the answer.
