Multi-Unit Franchisee Insight - Community Involvement & Leadership Qualities

We talk to successful multi-unit operators regularly here at Franchise Update Media. These busy on-the-go people share great insight and wisdom with us through our profile stories in Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine. Here, from our archives, are some insightful responses from some of these franchisees.

How important is community involvement to you and your company?
It's a pretty simple equation when you think about it. The success of our restaurants depends on the support of their surrounding community. That relationship between restaurant and community cannot be a one-way street. So it is clearly in our interest to find ways to give back to the communities that support our restaurants. But beyond business considerations, being involved with our surrounding communities is just the right thing to do.

What leadership qualities are important to you and to your team?
Tough question. Many qualities can contribute to good leadership. And good leaders can have different qualities. For me, I think empathy is the quality I always look for in myself and others. I grew up mostly in Oklahoma where my father was stationed in the Air Force. A Native American proverb I heard there has always stayed with me, "Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." Sometimes it can make a difference and sometimes not, but a useful thought to keep in mind for any leader.
Houston "Hu" Odom, Jr., multi-unit franchisee of Golden Corral

How important is community involvement to you and your company?
It is important to me to make a difference in the community. In addition to all we do with fundraisers and causes locally that I mentioned, we also support our national partners, such as the Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to active-duty service members and veterans; the American Red Cross, with blood drive campaigns; Ageless Aviation Dreams, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring seniors and U.S. military veterans; and the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research.

What leadership qualities are important to you and to your team?
Trust, commitment, and showing that you care.
Jeff Burroughs, multi-unit franchisee of Sport Clips