Tom Feltenstein

Last week I spoke at Restaurant Leadership Conference where restaurant owners and experts gather to share ideas, network, and learn from the best in the industry. The tone and message of  Restaurant Leadership 2010 was clear: Your business must adapt or become insignificant. I presented this message alongside an extraordinary lineup of speakers who all agreed that this past year brought tremendous market challenges to every facet of our business.

Here are four key lessons learned from the conference:

• Remain true to your organization’s fundamental profit drivers in a chaotic market
• As individuals and as leaders, it is our perspective that allows us to see options for success amid the challenges
• There is no doubt that social media is changing the landscape of restaurant leadership, but social media tactics are only as good as the underlying value the business provides
• With technology being able to share one person’s message to millions in a matter of minutes, providing great service to your customers as well as your employees (your internal customers) is more important than ever

The basics of a successful business haven’t changed. Offer something of value, do it well and give great service. That hasn’t changed for decades. But the environment we do that business in changes on a daily basis. In order to be a market leader you must see innovation where others only see challenges and grasp opportunities when others play it safe.

Are you stuck and in need of a breakthrough? We want to know! What tools and techniques will you be most likely to implement this year and why?