I caught up with consultant, John Benson who manages a portfolio of retail concerns in the food industry for a global professional services company.  As we discussed our combined years of experience with restaurants across all sectors: some of which have had challenging cultures and some that have created a culture of caring for people, one example of the latter that stands out among its competitors is Chick-fil-A. Or as expressed in a 2015 Forbes article, “A culture that lasts” according to contributing writer, Kevin Kruse.

The fact that the company’s culture was created out of a deep commitment to becoming something bigger than its founder, S. Truett Cathy is compelling. Cathy is sighted for his wisdom and humility to leave an organization with “an enduring culture that values people above everything else. That takes a true interest in doing more than just achieving a bottom line outcome. It takes a visionary leader who is willing to do what is necessary in order to achieve a culture where people can be proud of the work they do for the community that patronizes them. It’s the type of commitment that seems inherent in what Benson sees as the five main points he learned about leadership during his time in the marine corps.

“The 5 points that drive how a culture will manifest,” says John Benson, “are value proposition, target customer, core capabilities, revenue and cost model.” These five strategic points blended together bring about the culture a business will manifest for its people to work in, its customers to shop in, and for its products and services to flourish in the marketplace to gain profits and market share.

John’s background in the Marine Corps also gave rise to other principles that blend well, even within the retail environment. Those principals are steeped in 14 traits and 11 leadership styles, ranging from how you treat and present yourself, how you train employees, and how you handle adversity and success (see the Founder’s Corner for more).