Richard N. Frank Lawry’s Restaurants, Term Paper Example

The success of Lawry’s Restaurants (Lawry’s) in the intensely competitive restaurant industry and the fact that it has done so despite being a family restaurant for nearly nine decades gives credence to John Maxwell’s laws of leadership. Lawry’s history also shows the importance of an effective leadership to an organization’s success because leaders play a huge role in how human resources are managed and people are often the most valuable asset an organization has.

We observe that the law of the lid has been applied at Lawry’s since its very beginning. Richard N. Frank’s father and his uncle were able to grow the business, eventually expanding into food products manufacturing and restaurants not only due to their business acumen only but also because they were good at leading. They treated employees not as subordinates but as peers and called them co-workers to make them feel valued. Frank’s father and uncle were able to secure the loyalty of their followers no matter which position they held which made is easier for them to lead the organization and influence everyone in joining their efforts towards mutual goals.

We also see the law of influence being at work during Lawry’s entire history. Lawry’s leadership has continued to maintain influence over workers because they have managed to build credibility and lead by example. Instead of making use of formal powers, Lawry’s leadership has mostly relied on informal powers such as personal credibility and likeability. Lawry’s leaders openly communicate with their followers and show appreciation through a variety of methods including annual retreats, thus, it is easier for the leaders to gather support for their vision and strategies.

Lawry’s has also grown by following the law of addition. The company takes good care of its employees which explains the extremely low turnover rate as compared to the rivals in the restaurant industry. The company rewards its employees for long-term service and often promotes from within. Many of the company’s executive chefs and sous chefs started at the bottom and have risen within the ranks over time. The company’s management makes sure it continues to remind the employees that their contributions are what make the company that it is today.

Lawry’s success has also been due to the law of solid ground. One of the things Lawry’s founders and Frank’s father and uncle did was to create an environment of family within the company. Everyone behaved as a co-worker no matter what their rank may be instead of a boss or a subordinate and everyone knew they are in it together. This co-worker spirits also leads to sense of a team attitude and team attitude cannot survive unless there is trust among team members. When new employees join the company, existing employees take it upon themselves to guide new employees to the company’s culture and those who do not fit soon leave. Thus, everyone who decides to stay with the company or has been with the company for at least a while are bounded together by common values.

Lawry’s success and rise over the decades also owes a great deal to the law of respect. Frank’s father and uncle established a culture at the company which gave respect to everyone irrespective of their position. The founders treated every employee as equal instead of a senior or junior and the company’s current leaders continue to follow the same policy. The company’s employees feel respected which is also why they tend to stay at the company longer than their peers at rival companies. The company’s management doesn’t just proclaim respect for employees but actually demonstrates it through a variety of appreciation initiatives.

The law of intuition has also played a major role in the success of the company. The company actually started as a small potato chip shop but the founders saw greater potential in the business and had converted it into a bakery within two years. But the founders didn’t stop here and further expanded the business scope and operations by branching into food products manufacturing and eventually the restaurant business. This shows that the company’s founder had entrepreneurial intuition and kept a close eye on potential opportunities and when they did identify one, they immediately acted upon it. Survival in the restaurant industry is not easy and the fact that Lawry’s has not only survived for nearly nine decades but has also stayed a family business shows that its leaders have been adept at responding to the external environment.

The law of magnetism has also played a huge role on Lawry’s success. People play a major role in creating and shaping a company’s culture and the company’s founders treated everyone with respect, thus, they inspired loyalty and dedication. Even now everyone at the company doesn’t only act as an employee only but also the ambassador who attracts those with similar personalities and ideals. The behavior of the company’s stakeholders sends the message that there is something unique about being the member of the organization and makes outsiders want to become part of the company.

We also see the law of connection at work at Lawry’s. Frank’s father and uncle inspired loyalty from the subordinates because they treated everyone as equals. The company’s current leaders continue to follow same philosophy that cultural values cannot be enforced unless they are personally demonstrated by the leaders. The law of connection is also strong because the employees including those in the kitchen have worked at the company for many years, much longer on the average than is usually the case at rivals which has helped them build deeper relationships.

As far as the law of the inner circle is concerned, Lawry’s success in the beginning was also due to the fact that the leaders were personally related to each other, thus, they helped each other out instead of engaging in power struggle and work politics. The business continues to be family-owned which means they have managed to work well together over the years.

Lawry’s success has also been due to the law of empowerment. First of all, every employee at Lawry’s is treated with respect and reminded that he is as important to the organization’s success as anyone else. The company also makes sure to explicitly acknowledge the contributions of those who have been with the company long enough. For example, long-term service awards are given each year and annual Heritage Club luncheon is held for those who have been with the company for at least fifteen years.

One of the reasons why Lawry’s leaders are constantly asking themselves whether they are following the code of ethics is because they understand employees have greater believe in what they see as opposed to what they hear. The leaders, thus, try to set personal examples for employees in order to lend credibility and commitment to the code of ethics. Similarly, one of the reasons Lawry’s culture continues to survive is because newcomers see that everyone lives by certain codes and those who do not fit leave the company. The company’s employees are also considered ambassadors because they are continuously demonstrating to everyone they interact with as to how they behave as company’s employees and what values they live by.

One of the reasons why Lawry’s has been so successful is that the company’s leaders are committed to the law of sacrifice. They are not afraid to let the employees take credit for the success of the company. The company’s owners do not keep all the profits to themselves but allocate a portion of the profits to show appreciation to loyal employees such as through Heritage Club luncheon.

Lawry’s has also benefitted from the law of explosive growth. The company invests in all of the employees and many executive and sous chefs started at the bottom. Similarly, the law of timing has also been instrumental to the company’s success. The company’s founders started with potato chip business but as the timing became right, they moved into new businesses.

Lawry’s leaders are also influenced by the law of legacy. Just like their ancestors, Frank and his colleagues are inspired by the idea of leaving behind an organization where everyone is respected and feel appreciated. They want to preserve the legacy of their ancestors by keeping the company in family hands. This is why they pay special attention to company culture which has been instrumental to company’s success over the decades.