Do you see yourself as a leader?

Yes. ME MYSELF and I — lol.

Seriously, in order to be an Executive Chef you must know how to delegate responsibilities to your brigade of cooks and station chefs ( aka chef de partie ) . In a restaurant or resort setting, the logistics can be overwhelming unless you break it down, delegating your Lead Team, from Executive Sous Chefs , Sous Chefs, Junior Sous Chefs and Chefs de Partie. Each Team member must also be a leader ready to guide their station to a successful banquet, fine dining service or private functions.

Being a Leader doesn’t mean you get to sit at your desk and shout out orders. It means that you’re responsible for 40 – 60 hardworking personnel who rely on your expertise and guidance to get them through the day. It means getting your hands dirty and help out with any position that needs that extra help. Shouting out orders like TV personnel Gordon Ramsey isn’t going to get your team motivated. This type of training is now “ Old School “ and has never been a motivator, only causing hardship and despair. At one time, the old chefs use to rule by fear and I can tell you by experience its doesn’t motivate anyone or do you respect the chef at the end of the day. Gordon Ramsey is showcasing how the kitchen atmosphere use to be ; and it’s an entertaining soap opera in action. Sure. Under stress we will give short commands, but that’s during service, where everything must get out on time and the dish must have perfect presentation and, most importantly, be hot, by the time the customer receives their inspirational dining experience.

There’s a saying, “ If you want something done, do it yourself.” As far as writing my books, Canadian Recipes of the Great White North or my science fiction book, Black Angels are concerned, I had to lead myself to get it done. No one is going to do it for you, unless you’re a famous celebrity, such as Gordon Ramsey or my favourite women chefs, Giada and the best baker in the world, Anna Olson. Each celebrity chef get ghost writers to pump out cookbooks for them. Now — wouldn’t that be nice.

In Conclusion— being a leader can means many things. Most importantly, it’s not about you. It’s all about your hardworking Team. Without them you’re not a leader.

Cheers !

Chef Bari