Articles

October Leadership Article

THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING/MENTORING CORNER

In the August 2025 Newsletter, we started a series called “The Leadership/Mentoring Corner” in which we posed a thought-provoking situation for you to think about and put yourself into, asking yourself, “What are your next steps?”  Below is the situation that was in the August 2026 Newsletter.

OCTOBER LEADERSHIP SITUATION 

Mary Jane is daughter of the owner of a popular neighborhood restaurant that has been in business for 25 years. Mary Jane recently graduated from The Chef Apprentice Studio of the Arts Culinary School in San Francisco, California and has started working at the family restaurant. Being in business for 25 years the restaurant has a great neighborhood following and loyal customer base. Sales have increased every year except the Covid year of 2020 but quickly rebounded to pre-Covid levels. The restaurant’s profitability has been at or above industry averages. Mary Jane learned all the latest and greatest industry techniques, how to prepare and cook wonderful and delicious dishes and professional management operating processes. 

Mary Jane is eager to take what she has learned to make some pretty serious changes to the restaurant’s menu, staffing, hours the business is open and general overall day-to-day operational processes. Mary Jane’s father thinks Mary Jane has some good ideas but wants her to slow down and not make sweeping changes over night. Mary Jane thinks her father is old school and tells her father and family that if she can’t proceed with her transformational suggestions, she will have to leave the family business and open her own restaurant down the street. 

How should Mary Jane’s father proceed?

What suggestions would you offer Mary Jane?

What suggestions would you offer Mary Jane’s father?

Please provide us a brief write-up of What this family’s next steps should be?

Send your write-up to Lynn Rosado at [email protected]

In our November 2026 Newsletter, a team of Silver Fox Advisors will provide responses to what they would have recommended to Mary Jane and her father that they do based on the situation detailed above. 

If you need assistance in becoming a better leader, I recommend you start by contacting the Silver Fox Advisors. Silver Fox Advisors are former or present business owners themselves, and they have leadership experience in running a business, and in some cases several businesses, and have dealt with unforeseen and unplanned situations throughout their careers. We encourage you to visit our website at www.silverfox.org to select a Silver Fox Advisor and also to learn more about the Silver Fox Advisors, as well as our great programs and community outreach endeavors.