The Art of Empowerment
Leadership is top of mind for the Convenience Store News team this time of year as we host our annual Future Leaders in Convenience Summit and Hall of Fame Awards Gala.
Still a relatively new leader myself — having taken the helm of the CSNews editorial team a little over two years ago — one of my favorite parts of the job is having the opportunity to interview veteran leaders and hear about their secrets to success. One question I always ask during these interviews is how they would describe their leadership style.
Here are some of the responses I've received so far this year:
"Just put great people around you, put people that you believe are smarter than you around you, and people that are different in the way they think and different in the way they approach things. I've always said that when I’m doing well, people don't need me very much because they're making decisions, they're leading their business, they feel empowered."
— Alex Miller, the new CEO of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
"I usually approach leadership from a servant leadership perspective, focusing on understanding what people's needs are in order to be successful in their roles and working really hard to provide them with what they need. … I've found when you hire really talented people, you give them what they need to be successful, point them in a certain direction and then, get out of their way and allow them to do what they do."
— Darren Rebelez, the 2024 CSNews Hall of Fame Retailer Inductee
"I think probably one of the best things that a leader can be is good at asking good questions and then taking the time to listen, and then diving in on, 'What was the genesis of that concern, that comment, that question, that suggestion?' There are a million little details that are happening every single day. We've got great people who are closer to those details, and I need to make sure that I'm listening for their ideas because I know that the last thing we want to do at Maverik is wait for me to come up with the next big idea because we have so many good people thinking about things."
— Chuck Maggelet, the 2024 CSNews Retailer Executive of the Year
Are you seeing a theme here? Because I certainly am.
These leaders do not measure their success on their own accomplishments, but rather on the accomplishments of those they lead. These leaders empower their teams and ensure an open line of communication so they can learn quickly of pain points and address them.
Going forward, I will be applying these lessons. I urge you to do the same.
