What’s the No. 1 factor staff need from you as a frontrunner? As Greg Brenneman—who led turnarounds of Continental Airways, PwC Consulting and Burger King—put it on the first digital Scaling Up occasion after Covid hit, “The job of a frontrunner is to soak up concern and exude hope.” Simply launched analysis from Gallup bears him out.
That’s very true in occasions of disaster and chaos. Ask Christine Assouad, CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts Lebanon. Assouad, a member of Younger Presidents’ Group, launched Dunkin Donuts in her nation in 1998 and plans 50 shops by 12 months’s finish.
You assume you’ve obtained it dangerous…
Contemplate what Assouad was up in opposition to: She scaled operations regardless of a preferred revolution in 2019 adopted by capital management and foreign money devaluation, a lethal ammonium nitrate explosion at Beirut’s port in 2020 that displaced greater than 300,000 individuals and a 14-month battle that led to a ceasefire in November 2024. “We have been in survival mode for a number of years, seeing most worldwide chains exit or shut shops,” says Assouad.
Nonetheless, that chaos gave the corporate an edge. Because the late Brazilian racecar driving legend Ayrton Senna put it, “You can not overtake 15 automobiles when it’s sunny, however you’ll be able to when it’s raining.” After opening six shops in 2024, together with a flagship with a podcast studio, gaming room and assembly room, Assouad simply signed one other 10, with plans to rent 25 p.c extra workforce members and her sights set on reaching 100.
Within the meantime, she’ll be one of many Sharks on an upcoming season of Shark Tank Lebanon. She additionally runs Empowering Tribe, a bunch she based in 2023 to help feminine leaders within the Center East, and the Semsom idea, a Lebanese informal eating idea with eating places in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.
Leaders have a selection: to be winners or whiners. Right here’s how she retains her eyes skilled on successful
Keep centered on goal
Assouad turned her shops into locations the place staff are available early to jot down optimistic “notes of happiness” on every espresso cup. “The principle level is to always remind our workforce of our goal, the truth that we’re right here ‘to unfold happiness,’” she says. “I name it the ‘smiling enterprise.’”
Present you’ve obtained it coated
Hopefulness will solely encourage a workforce if it’s grounded in actuality, particularly in wartime. “The primary day of the disaster, we listed all of the doable eventualities and had an motion plan for every,” Assouad says. “Being ready made the entire distinction.”
Keep prepared for good occasions
Assouad additionally stored her workforce enthusiastic about what was coming after the disaster. Throughout sluggish durations, Assouad organized for large-scale trainings in the way to use AI and had her workforce construct out an ERP system. “We used useless time to do issues we didn’t often have time to do,” she says. One added bonus: With many staff searching for academic alternatives, it gave them a motive to remain.
Find time for enjoyable
Assouad makes play a precedence. Lately, she introduced her workforce collectively in Beirut to have enjoyable designing their very own Dunkin’ idea shops. Everybody forgot about job titles and let their imaginations run wild. “On the finish of the day, enterprise isn’t just about serving prospects,” she mirrored in a LinkedIn submit. “It’s about connecting people. When your workforce feels protected, seen and impressed, magic occurs.”
That doesn’t imply ignoring the trauma workforce members skilled throughout the battle. To help psychological well being, she organized weekly workforce conferences, group remedy periods and retreats for various layers of managers.
In the end, we’ve a selection as CEOs—to suck it up in difficult circumstances or to offer in to whining. As Assouad continues to show, winners know that progress is all the time doable, even throughout a battle.
