The Ribeye Club blog has so far hosted topics related to top quality beef preparation and consumption. We have dealt with how to select the best cuts, which grillers are most suitable, how to grill your steak to perfection, what to drink along with your BBQ and so on. Today, we will take up another angle.
Leadership and BBQ. Do they have anything in common? Let us look at some key leadership qualities and compare them with those of a competent BBQ pitmaster.
TEAMWORK
Taking over a BBQ for a large number of people requires teamwork and effective leadership to ensure its success. One has to be able organise, delegate, monitor and motivate the team. One has to think things through to the end. The food has to be delivered on time and up to standard.
BEING A DOER AS WELL AS A THINKER
Planning and serving a BBQ requires rational thought, ability to plan and co ordinate. It means you can take decisions, work to a budget and deliver on the deadline. Not an easy feat, especially if it’s a boiling hot or rainy Sunday and the kitchen sink isn’t close by.
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY
More or less everyone can throw a good piece of steak on the BBQ, just like anyone can draw a house with a picket fence. Those with a passion for barbecue can go the extra mile however. From selecting a menu with a twist, coupling it with the right drinks, selecting the right music, setting the ambience. All in all they bring their flair and personal energy with them and can make an ordinary BBQ into a special event that everyone will remember.
BONDING
The informal nature of any BBQ gives the opportunity to people to mill around, talk, interact, to shine, get to know people in a different way than one is used to. New bonds can be formed and the team comes away with a separate meaning and memory of their team outside their usual environment. This sense of belonging is one the of the most underrated aspects of motivation that can be most effective if leaders harness it appropriately.
INCLUSIVITY
Everyone totes inclusivity as the keyword to leadership. Well, BBQing is definitely an inclusive activity. It is one of the best ways of breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity between individuals. It can cater for every person’s different taste. It can bring together people from all backgrounds, race, politics, religion, lifestyle or food preference.
In this article we have discovered that leadership and barbecue share many things in common. The effort required to arrange a large BBQ is not only about cost, and resources. It is about providing for others. An effective and powerful leadership trait in itself, especially if the BBQ is used as a reward or recognition within the team. The mere act of a leader physically being the person serving the food to the team can be a powerful image. Just think of Barack Obama and David Cameron at the BBQ in 10 Downing street. Regardless of political views, we saw two world leaders with a message to the people.
Whether you are in your back garden with your family, or setting up a large business party or even if you are taking part in a competition barbecue team, the same leadership attributes and values are useful to the pitmaster. The ability to get people to work together in a team, to go beyond words and take up a project from conception to finish,to be innovative and creative, to break down barriers and include everyone in the task, to communicate openly, and create bonds. Need I say more?