Lunch, learn and grow as a leader
Chick-fil-A owner continuing series in 2019 promoting growth of service leadership
What’s the Chick-fil-A way of getting things done?
It’s all about servant leadership according to local owner Zach Thomas, who through a series of classes continues to help spread the gospel of how his restaurant chain’s successful prescription for doing business out into Polk County.
Thomas, who has been a Chick-fil-A operator for more than nine years and opened the store in Rockmart in 2017, said the idea for his bi-monthly Lunch and Learn series is to give people insight on how they can better lead their employees by understanding that it all comes from the “H.E.A.R.T.”
It’s an acronym formed around the phrase “Leaders serve from the H.E.A.R.T,” Thomas explained. It asks participants to keep in mind such principles like “Thank other first,” “Expect the best,” “Respond with courage” and more.
Ultimately it builds on itself, and Thomas spends a few minutes each session up front catching people up on where he is in the coursework.
“I think we’ll continue to repeat them for as long as people want to learn and grow,” Thomas said. “I think the journey of becoming a leader requires us to hear things more than once. But ultimately it is a series of growth through leading self, leading teams, leading organizations and leading others.”
He said the coursework can go on for as long as 36 hours, so he might be at the Lunch and Learn series organized through the Polk County Chamber of Commerce for the next several years. But he doesn’t mind, because with each class it also ensures that he continues to practice what he’s teaching in everyday life.
“Being able to teach what I’ve learned helps me,” Thomas said. “The best way to learn is to teach. So for me, being able to teach what I’ve learned and share that in the community benefits me in my own leadership journey, but my ultimate goal of helping leaders in the community who want to grow and provide them an opportunity to grow themselves.”
Those interested in the Lunch and Learn series can find out more by heading over to the Chamber website at polkgeorgia. com and find the upcoming Lunch and Learn on the calendar to learn more, or visit this story on Polkstandardjournal.com to find a link.
Cost to participate is $15 for chamber members and $20 for non-chamber members per session, but does include lunch provided by Thomas.