Wendy’s – When A Leader Dies

Apparently Wendy’s has bigger issues than a sign being destroyed! I came across an article in USA Today that caught my interest. It’s about how Wendy’s is dealing with the loss of their leader, Dave. They are in a downhill slide and losing millions. "They've lost their Dave-ness," says Chris Mueller, director of the Center for Multi-Unit Restaurant Management at the University of Central Florida. "The emotion went out of the company after Dave died. I think the company is still grieving."

The article caught my interest initially because I wanted to see if I could glean any insight into what Dave didn’t do to transition his company well. I couldn’t find much, but it did make me think that part of the overall success of what I will accomplish in my ministry will be how I leave it. I don’t want to start thinking about it today because I am hoping for many more years of ministry, but I do want to plant the seed that I need to do everything it takes to set the next guy up for success.

After reading the article the interim CEO made a statement that got me thinking, “But leadership is about passion. And I love the Wendy’s brand.”

"But leadership is about passion. And I love the Wendy's brand." Part of my screams “YES!” Part of my screams, “WHAT?” What if you passionately suck? What if your passions are misplaced? What if your passion doesn’t translate into change? What if your passion is visionless? What if your passion doesn’t care for people? What if your passion doesn’t ignite change? I agree with her, but I want her to say more! Leadership is about passion, but it’s about passionately plowing in the right fields and looking back to see if anyone if following.