Gordon James Ramsay
"I do not like looking back. I am always constantly looking forward. I am not one to sort of sit and cry over spilled milk. I am too busy looking for the next cow..."
Biography
Gordon James Ramsay
was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966 but moved to Stratford-upon-Avon at the
age of five with his family. A talented soccer player, Ramsay was aiming to be
a professional sportsman until a knee injury forced him to embark on another
career choice. After attaining a degree in hotel management, Ramsay apprenticed
with Marco Pierre White at Harvey’s in London, worked for Albert Roux at Le
Gavroche, and honed his skills under distinguished chefs like Joel Robuchon and
Guy Savoy in France.
Fast forward several
years later, Ramsay received numerous prestigious accolades and opened his own
restaurants. The ambitious, strong-headed and temperamental chef also made a
transition to television in the late 1990s with his documentary, Boiling Point,
which followed the process of establishing his first restaurant. As of today,
Ramsay is known for presenting television programs on competitive cookery and
food such as Hell’s Kitchen, Masterchef, and Kitchen Nightmares.
Ramsay currently has
29 restaurants under his belt under Gordon Ramsay Holdings and he has been
awarded a total of 15 Michelin stars throughout his venues.
Achievements
- Awarded 'Newcomer of the Year' (1995), 'Chef of the Year' (2000) and 'Independent Restaurateur of the Year' (2006) at Catey Awards - the most prestigious accolade of United Kingdom's hospitality industry
- Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road - Ramsay's first solo restaurant, was awarded 3 Michelin Stars in 2001 and voted Top Restaurant in the United Kingdom (London Zagat Survey) the same year
- Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 honors list for services to the hospitality industry
- In September 2006, Ramsay was named as the most influential figure in United Kingdom's hospitality industry
Leadership Style
Overall, Ramsay’s
leadership style can be categorized as aggressive. Further classification
suggests that he possess a blend of autocratic and bureaucratic leadership
styles.
Ramsay’s strong
personality is evident when he portrays traits of an autocratic leadership. He
is fiercely unforgiving with his chefs and demands the highest of standards
when it comes to culinary performance. As seen on various reality series,
Ramsay is known to command an extremely tense atmosphere where no mistakes are
tolerated. As a restaurateur, he makes
all of the final decisions and has absolute total control of all resources and employees.
In addition, he determines all operating procedures pertaining to his
restaurants and only selected employees are trusted with tasks and decisions of
paramount importance. Overall, Ramsay often exhibits signs of authoritarian control
and only accepts his own judgment most of the time.
With reference to the
autocratic leadership style, it can also be suggested that Ramsay demonstrates
a bureaucratic leadership. He is known to write his own rules, and he expects
all of his employees to follow procedures precisely. In the context of culinary
performance, this is particularly useful as consistency and maintenance of
impeccable standards are required on a frequent basis. As such, Ramsay is
qualified to confirm and uphold his own rules because of his expertise, and he
has been very successful with this style of leadership.
What Makes Him A Good Leader?
Despite Ramsay being
a monster of a taskmaster, indifferent to feelings and focused strictly on
results, his employees are remarkably loyal. The question is – Why? The answer
is simple. They know that they are working for one of the best chefs of his
generation, and at the end of the day, the man just wants to be the best at
what he does.
Ramsay is
excellent at communicating a vision to his employees. He creates a scenario for
them to identify with, convinces them to tie their future to the vision, and
ensures that they have opportunities to perform at the highest standards.
One does not
achieve Ramsay’s level of success by worrying if your employees like you or
not. He believes in showing the employees who is boss. Although he is tough,
his approach is also about coaching and encouraging the best from his
employees.
Ramsay always
tailors his vision accordingly. In other words, he looks at each restaurant in
isolation. He will go back to the fundamentals as well as do his research for
market and competitors. Most importantly, he assesses the capabilities of his
staff and identifies a specific formula for success for each individual
restaurant.
His remarks may be
peppered with swear words, but what Ramsay is able to do exceptionally is
communicate clearly and continuously with his employees. He explains to them
exactly what he wants and provides them with both positive and negative
feedback. As a result, he has a highly-motivated workforce. When you look
beyond the swearing, he refrains from offering bland visions but tries on
inspire. Ramsay is also often generous with instructing the inexperienced.
What Is Exemplified By the Individual?
1. Be Passionate About What You Do
Ramsay's on
a mission. He loves what he does and everything about him exudes passion and
commitment to the cause of simple, fresh food, served efficiently in a pleasant
atmosphere.
2. Ask Questions and Observe
Ramsay has no pre-conceived assumptions about any of his establishments. Ramsay interviews his employees, tests the food, he questions his chefs, he examines the whole kitchen and he observes the front-of-house staff in action before he recommends any changes.
Ramsay has no pre-conceived assumptions about any of his establishments. Ramsay interviews his employees, tests the food, he questions his chefs, he examines the whole kitchen and he observes the front-of-house staff in action before he recommends any changes.
3. Tell It Straight
There is no beating about the bush with Ramsay - you know exactly what he thinks.
There is no beating about the bush with Ramsay - you know exactly what he thinks.
4. Appeal to Each Person’s Pride
Ramsay knows
permanent changes in another person's behaviour come from within.
5. Give Everyone a Second Change
Ramsay lets
his employees know what he thinks, tells them what they need to do differently,
shows them what to do and then lets them prove they are worth another chance.
6. Generate Focus
Ramsay wants
each of his restaurants to be to become known for one thing above everything
else. This ensures that his employees are focused on the significant elements.
7. Know Your Stuff
Despite owning 29 restaurants around the world, Ramsay is up to date with every single detail happening in every establishment.
Despite owning 29 restaurants around the world, Ramsay is up to date with every single detail happening in every establishment.
8. Be Hands-On
Ramsay will
never hesitate to don his chef uniform, roll up his sleeves and demonstrates to
his chef exactly what they need to do to meet his standards. He does not ask
people to do things he is not prepared to do himself.
9. Act Decisively
When Ramsay faces problems regarding his restaurants, he does not spend much time explaining the problems. Instead, he presents his solution and then immediately starts implementing it.
When Ramsay faces problems regarding his restaurants, he does not spend much time explaining the problems. Instead, he presents his solution and then immediately starts implementing it.
10. Ensure Each Employee Knows His/Her Job Well
Ramsay ensures that each person has a specific job to do and that they know exactly how to carry out their role in all his restaurants.
Ramsay ensures that each person has a specific job to do and that they know exactly how to carry out their role in all his restaurants.
11. Ensures Staff Meetings are Short and Focused
When Ramsay gathers his employees together to discuss the new menu or the night ahead, he gets to his point quickly to ensure that all employees are clear and motivated about what needs to be accomplished.
When Ramsay gathers his employees together to discuss the new menu or the night ahead, he gets to his point quickly to ensure that all employees are clear and motivated about what needs to be accomplished.
12. Praise People When They Have Delivered
At the end of a successful service, Ramsay always compliments his chef or managers on doing a brilliant job. This boosts morale in a demanding industry.
At the end of a successful service, Ramsay always compliments his chef or managers on doing a brilliant job. This boosts morale in a demanding industry.
Some of the appropriate conditions to use this style is when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and/or your employees are well motivated.
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I would like to work for Gordon Ramsay one day.
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