Page 242 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Epilogue

I was a guest at a recent “Ray Kroc Awards” dinner where
the top managers around the country were invited to a weekend
in Chicago and were lavishly treated to a number of activities
over a three-day period. Watching the festivities, which included
entertainment and an awards presentation, it was hard not to
notice what the real thrill seemed to be for these eager managers.
It was having a picture with Fred. Off to the side of the stage,
with an infectious grin, was Fred, completely comfortable and
having fun chatting with these managers and posing for pictures
with them. He was clearly having as good a time as they were.
And that was powerful and meaningful to them. It reminded me
of my own photo session as a young President’s Award winner,
in Chicago, some 32 years earlier, having the same feelings of
pride and, yes, thrill at meeting the legendary founder himself.
It was, to use the well-known phrase, “priceless.”
The combined total of both Burger King and Wendy’s found-
212
ers is 51 years of involvement; Ray and Fred together equal 82
years and counting. This continuous involvement by the found-
ing individuals is unique in the corporate world. It also is unique
in its ability to project stability and grounding, which under-
scores the values and principles from the very beginning. That
unwavering interest says, in effect, “I love this business so much,
that I want to stay involved, and help any way I can.” Clearly,
Fred and Ray, like so many other founders, could have gotten
out and retired to the country clubs. That never happened. That
is an unusual trait in the current corporate environment of get-
ting in and selling out quickly for as much cash as possible. Ray
and Fred have become heroes to the organization, and the fact
that they were so available and accessible only added to their
legacy. The influence of this is hard to measure, but again, it is
one of the aspects that makes the McDonald’s system so unique.
The obvious question I heard while writing this book was,
“Could the success of McDonald’s ever be duplicated?” It’s a