3 ways leaders are like pizza
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My dear Italian friend spoke about making homemade pizza dough and the way the ingredients work. Mimi described the way dough has to be worked so the ingredients come together, then the dough needs to rest overnight. After the rest, the dough is malleable and ready to become a tasty pizza.
What a
terrific analogy!
Yes, we need
to take breaks and turn our brains off so they can rejuvenate. The rest also
enable us to tap into our strengths better, just like the ingredients of the
dough do. But, the dough is not the
pizza. It is the foundation of the pizza. It needs more to become a pizza, just
like we do.
Here are the
3 ways leaders need to be like pizza:
#1: Start with a solid foundation.
In pizza, it’s
the dough. In life, it’s the values, perspective, EQ, and personal make-up.
Like Mimi said, we need to mix the ingredients in a way that enables them
to work together and become the foundation of greatness.
#2: Enable collaboration.
Collaboration is key because it takes more than dough to make a pizza. Similarly, it takes more than one leader to make a workplace thrive. Add the right ingredients. “Right” is key because what’s right for one is not for another. Just ask my husband. He likes spicy meat on pizza, while I like a variety of veggies and sometimes even pineapple. We always order half-and-half, and neither of us minds. Could workplace compromises become as simple? Obviously, many workplace challenges are not as simple as pizza. In those cases, select what is right for the Mission, and remember, there can be more than one right choice.
Collaboration is key because it takes more than dough to make a pizza. Similarly, it takes more than one leader to make a workplace thrive. Add the right ingredients. “Right” is key because what’s right for one is not for another. Just ask my husband. He likes spicy meat on pizza, while I like a variety of veggies and sometimes even pineapple. We always order half-and-half, and neither of us minds. Could workplace compromises become as simple? Obviously, many workplace challenges are not as simple as pizza. In those cases, select what is right for the Mission, and remember, there can be more than one right choice.
After selecting the right toppings, let
them do their work. On pizza, we let the cheese melt all over the top so we can
enjoy the wonderful flavor combination. At work, foster collaboration and
empowerment. It takes more than dough to make a pizza, so be selective about
the ingredients then enable let them be their best.
#3: Expect some heat before greatness.
Once a pizza has been made, it’s still not ready to be devoured. It needs to bake. Baking brings out the best in the whole combination, just like the heat, or pressure, of deadlines and client demands brings out the best in most teams. Don’t be thrown off by some heat. No team holds hands singing Kumbaya throughout the entire project. But, don’t worry, a little heat can help a team rise and become its best.
Once a pizza has been made, it’s still not ready to be devoured. It needs to bake. Baking brings out the best in the whole combination, just like the heat, or pressure, of deadlines and client demands brings out the best in most teams. Don’t be thrown off by some heat. No team holds hands singing Kumbaya throughout the entire project. But, don’t worry, a little heat can help a team rise and become its best.
Lead like a pizza and you'll be All-In!
Can you think of additional similarities between leadership and pizza? Add to the list below.