Denny’s CEO Christopher Bode says a lesson from a longtime mentor has become a guiding principle as he works to turn around the iconic diner chain.
Bode, who took the helm of Denny’s this year, told FOX Business that he follows a simple phrase he learned earlier in his career from former Dunkin’ Brands CEO Jon Luther.
“Manage what you must, not what you can,” Bode said.
The Denny’s chief said he now shares that advice with his leadership team daily to keep the company focused on the priorities that can have the greatest impact.
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“I now talk to my team about it daily, because what it means is there’s so much that you can manage, but this is what you must manage in order to be able to change the trajectory of the business that you’re running,” Bode said.
“So we stay focused on that routinely.”
Bode said organizations can fall victim to “organizational creep” when they take on too many projects and lose sight of what they need to accomplish.
“That’s what really leads to the demise of organizations, because they try to be too much, too many, and accomplish too many things in a short period of time,” he said.
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At Denny’s, Bode said staying focused means keeping the company centered on the five key pillars of “Project Grand Slam,” its broader turnaround strategy.
“We keep the team laser-focused on that every day, and we don’t allow the creep to come in,” Bode said.
Bode said humility and listening are also critical to leadership, particularly when working with franchisees who have millions of dollars invested in their businesses.
“We have people that invest millions and millions of dollars, and you have to listen with a really good ear,” Bode said. “Those are the people that have taken all the risk. They sign the banknotes, they pay the people, they have utilities, they’ve all this stuff, all that pressure on them. I get a paycheck every week. They don’t.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs and other business leaders, Bode said his advice is to remain humble.
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“Franchisee relationships are important, and also stay humble right at the end of the day, particularly as your career continues to evolve over time,” he said. “Don’t forget where you came from.”
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Bode said another phrase guides his approach to leadership.
“It’s the power of ‘we,’ not the individual ‘me,'” he said.
