Page 18 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Introduction

corporate executives, and some suppliers or franchisees within
the system. And some left to go on to other fields of success.
Some may have been promoted too quickly. Some missed the
opportunities. Some burned out. Yet many succeeded in leaving
a positive mark. Most of us learned on the job: by doing, observ-
ing, watching, and executing; by trial and error. And, to a per-
son, it seems, they all mostly enjoyed their experiences with the
system.
I was indeed privileged to have served at the company at such
an auspicious time. It was unique. It was exciting. It was chal-
lenging. And it was a wonderful learning experience for all of
us who were able to take the opportunity afforded to us at the
time. The company, now in its fifty-third year, is the most suc-
cessful restaurant organization in the world, and one of the most
recognized brands in the world. This is a compilation of one per-
son’s firsthand observations and thoughts on how McDonald’s
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grew into the organization it is today: what it was like to play
a role in its growth, how it felt, how it all transpired, and how
it influenced my personal growth and thousands of others. I
truly believe that most of us would not have achieved the suc-
cesses we experienced at McDonald’s had it not been for the
spirit of team that we encountered in our early careers. The sys-
tem molded many of us, average individuals, both company
employees and franchisees, and made us much more than many
of us ever dreamed we could be.
My story stems from various personal viewpoints. I was a
crewperson. I worked for a licensee of the system. I was a store
manager and a director of operations. Later, I joined the corpo-
ration and worked midmanagement jobs in training and opera-
tions, until finally I became a regional vice president, and during
the course of 12 years, was responsible for more than 450 stores
and $600 million in sales. While those numbers are important,
they don’t tell the whole story. The story of friendships and frus-