by Restaurant Expert Witness – Howard Cannon

I am sure that you have heard of Secretariat, arguably the greatest racehorse of all time. He won the Triple Crown of Horse Racing (The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and The Belmont Stakes) in 1972, and his record times and lengths of victory still stand to this day.

Let's assume for a moment that you are the proud owner of Secretariat; and, you also own another racehorse that simply has no talent, no desire, and no speed - he simply cannot run fast. For the sake of this discussion, we will call him Buttercup.

If you are in a race riding Buttercup, and Buttercup is not giving much effort into running fast, would you whip him? The answer is clearly, "No."

You already know that Buttercup can't run fast. You already know that Buttercup has neither the talent nor the desire to run fast. And, being the intelligent and caring person that you are, you know that whipping Buttercup will not do much, if any, good. You already recognize Buttercup's limitations. There's no reason to cause him or yourself the grief.

But, let me ask you this – if you are in that same race and you happen to be riding Secretariat, and Secretariat isn't giving much effort at running fast, would you whip him? The answer is an emphatic and absolute, "Yes!"

And, here's the reason why . . . You know that Secretariat has the talent for awesome speed. Before the race, you already knew what you had to work with. You sized up his tremendous potential, and you are ready to unleash it on the world. You are completely confident that the ability is there. And, again, being the intelligent and caring person that you are, you know that by whipping Secretariat, he will ascend to the peak level to which he is capable of performing.

You see, whipping a racehorse does not hurt him. His body is so big and muscular that the whip is more of a nuisance due to the sound it makes than it is a pain. The crack of the whip is an immediate form of discipline, and serves as crucial feedback from the jockey in an effort to get everything he needs out of the horse that he is responsible for leading. It forces the horse to pay attention, and helps him regain focus on the task at hand. The horse is spurred on so that he makes the most of his own talent and performs at his very best.

Now, what does all of this talk of horse racing have to do with you? Well, I use this analogy to help you understand that when you find yourself in a position of leadership, it is crucial that you are able to discern, utilize and direct a person's ability to perform. Some can. Some can't. Don't exhaust your time and effort on someone who has substantial limitations.

Robert Half, founder of Robert Half International (ranked first in the staffing industry on FORTUNE magazine's 2012 "World's Most Admired Companies" list), once said: "There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability."

I have never found much use in refocusing and disciplining people who have neither the desire nor the talent to perform at an exceptional level. I prefer not to waste the time and energy – not theirs, and especially not mine.

You won't transform a Buttercup into a Secretariat, but I do feel that the appropriate amount of refocusing and discipline at just the right time for a talented, driven, and dedicated person is vital to developing greatness in any endeavor. Your job is to understand, know, and manage the potential you're working with.

There is no debate regarding the volume of talent within Michael Jordan. But, what many people are unaware of is that a number of coaches needed to be very tough on Michael at certain times; and, on occasion, they had to discipline him for not showing up to play ball seriously. In fact, the story goes that in high school one of his basketball coaches cut him from the team due to his lack of effort. However, the coach told Michael that if he would come to the gym an hour before school and stay in the gym an hour after school every day for an entire year, the following year there would be a spot for him on the team. Well, Michael accepted his coach's challenge, and the rest is history. Consider for a moment that without a few doses of tough love and discipline, we may never have heard of the man most regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time.

So, who are you? What kind of stuff are you made of? Are you more like a Secretariat? Do you live for the race? Are you wildly teeming with all sorts of unbridled potential? Or, are you a Buttercup?

Think about this – if you are getting a bit of corrective feedback and focused discipline from your boss, coach, mentor or leader, then that may very well be a good thing. Instead of recoiling on the inside or feeling defensive, take a moment and adjust your attitude. Don't miss the point because your feelings are hurt. Clearly, you have a choice here, and the better one is to view the constructive criticism and direction as an opportunity to improve and as a chance to excel in what you do. Feedback - even when it seems harsh - and discipline serve your best interests because you can take that information and up your game.

Let's take the scenario a step further. If someone with authority seems a bit tougher on you than the other people around you, why view it as a negative at all? Be thankful he or she has such high expectations of you. Seize the moment and rise to the occasion. Bring everything you've got in you to the task and perform superbly! You may actually be seen as a Secretariat, and that is much preferred to the alternative - at least if you expect to get anywhere in your career.

When you become a boss, share this concept with those who surround you in your restaurant, including not just those you manage but other restaurant managers, as well. Let your superstar-caliber people know where you're coming from. It will help them understand why you may be hard on them at times. Tell them up front, "If I am tough on you, it's because I think you have the potential to be something great. I care about you and feel your abilities are special and I want to see you succeed and reach your dreams so much that I am willing to take the time and effort to push you hard. Because I see the greatness within you and the goals you can and will achieve, I want to give you the appropriate refocusing at just the right time." The Secretariats will clearly understand and greatly appreciate it. The Buttercups never will.

Don't be so sensitive when someone gives you corrective feedback. They just want to see you do your very best, and that's not a bad thing.

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