Melissa Koujakian

Ask them questions! Play games, have fun and always try to balance the wonder/rigor of our business.

Taking care of people – guests and staff – is a privilege, and it feels really good to remind ourselves of that simple truth. Being radically transparent as a leader is revolutionary. When in doubt, close your eyes and focus all of your attention on doing the right thing, most things can be boiled down to this, and it helps complicated situations feel like there is always a north star guiding every decision.

He listened to the team, the guests, the owners, the stakeholders, the vendors – everyone. Making people feel seen is a powerful act and he did that primarily by listening to them and allowing them to take up space. I try my best to lead with that example in mind, always.

In hiring managers, I am looking for a person who already possesses the ability to express themselves. This is crucial when asking them to do tough things like give feedback to line staff. I read a crazy statistic that 60% of managers don’t like to give their team feedback, and that is just wild to me! It’s our job as leaders to help people grow, and how can they do that if they don’t know how they’re doing? So a person who is able to communicate and is able to appropriately and effectively express themselves is huge.

The best leaders I have had are those who are STILL learning (even when they’re a Master Somm!) and I think that is infectious and inspiring to be around and it makes me want to do better, learn more and grow in new and exciting ways.

Roll with the punches! Pivot! All the time!

I am obsessed with the dining experience. I would eat out every single meal every single day if I could! My longtime joke is that after 25 years working in restaurants, the only thing I know how to make is a reservation. I LOVE eating at restaurants. I still love it. I love everything about it. I am a total and complete nerd. I look at the design (was it thoughtful, is it intentional, what works/what doesn’t), the plates and the glassware (who made it, where did it come from, how much did it cost), I ask the servers and bartenders questions, (what do they like about working here, what food/beverage do they love), I check out the bathroom and judge! I love eating out and being treated as a guest, each time I eat out it teaches me something and I gain something applicable.

(Does that count?!)

Things like Modern Love by NYTimes is fascinating as well as things like Ester Perel. I think having empathy is hugely important in our line of work, and understanding what it means to be human and working to be our evolving best selves is always helpful in leadership.

I was obsessed with this goal. Becoming the GM of République years later, I looked back and think about how much I focused on getting myself there, even if I didn’t know it at the time.