Welcome to A Student of Leadership MICRO podcast, powered by UniPro Foodservice and our Leadership Development Program.

I'm Robert Adams, your host and guide on this journey into the habits, routines, and behaviors that define exceptional leadership.

Whether you're stepping into your first food industry leadership role or refining your craft as a seasoned senior leader, this MICRO podcast is designed for you. Leadership is not a destination. It's a practice, a daily commitment to growth, learning, and service to those you lead.

Over 30+ years of food industry leadership experience, I've led teams through transformation, crisis, growth, and change. I've managed multi-unit operations, built leadership pipelines, coached hundreds of managers, and made plenty of mistakes along the way. Those mistakes taught me something invaluable: the best leaders never stop being students. They stay curious, humble, and hungry to grow.

Leadership is continually evolving, challenging yourself, and adopting small, deliberate actions that inspire trust, loyalty, and extraordinary results. It's about showing up with intention every day, even when you're tired, even when the challenges feel overwhelming.

The food industry presents unique leadership challenges. Fast-paced environments, tight margins, diverse teams, demanding customers, and constant pressure to perform. Labor shortages, turnover, supply chain disruptions, these aren't just buzzwords. They're our daily reality.

This is an industry where leadership isn't theoretical; it's tested every single day on the floor, in the kitchen, at the table, and in the boardroom. Your team watches how you handle stress, how you treat people when things go wrong, how you celebrate wins, and how you respond when someone needs help. This is where real leadership is forged.

My passion for leadership development has led me to behavioral science and evidence-based approaches to leadership. Leadership excellence isn't built on charisma or natural talent alone, it's built on intentional behaviors that anyone can learn, practice, and master.

Small shifts in how we communicate, recognize effort, handle conflict, build accountability, and show up for our teams create massive, lasting impact. These aren't complicated strategies requiring expensive consultants. They're practical, proven behaviors you can implement immediately.

In each episode, we'll break down one specific leadership behavior, habit, or mindset. These aren't hour-long lectures, they're focused, actionable micro-lessons you can absorb during your commute, before a shift, or over morning coffee. Leadership development shouldn't feel like another overwhelming task.

This podcast is for the district manager juggling multiple locations, the restaurant GM navigating staffing challenges, the corporate leader driving culture change, the emerging supervisor finding their voice, and every food service professional committed to leading with intention and impact.

I'm not here pretending to have all the answers. I'm here as a fellow student, someone who believes the moment we stop learning is the moment we stop leading effectively. Together, we'll explore what works, what doesn't, and how we can all get better at this challenging, rewarding work of leadership.

Join us on this journey. If you find value, share it with five other people who could benefit. Leadership grows when we invest in each other.

A Student of Leadership - Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.