Former Chick-fil-A Says Being a Good Follower Key to Success

ROGERS -- Jimmy Collins believes a leader isn't made, he is born. Being a good follower is the key to success, according to the former president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A.

Collins shared his thoughts on achieving success Thursday at the Summit Business Persons' Luncheon at Cross Church. His book, "Creative Followership," shares 35 principles he used in his 32-year career at the fast food chain. He retired in 2001 after spending more than a decade at the company's helm.

The Summit is a weekly luncheon featuring local and national speakers touching on topics from corporate management to leadership. The Rev. Ronnie Floyd started the program in 2001.

Collins said he read numerous books on leadership and was perplexed with the difficulty authors had defining it.

"A leader is someone with followers. It's that simple," he said.

The first step in being a good follower is "choosing the right boss," Collins said. Not everyone's vision of the ideal boss is the same, and Collins set up four criteria a boss had to fit: He wouldn't work for someone who was a lesser performer than himself; would only work for someone he could respect, look up to and learn from; would only work for someone who's building or growing something; and would only work for someone who would let him make decisions and value his input.

He found that leader in Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A founder.

"If you know what you are looking for, you are likely to find it, but you first need to know what you are looking for," he said.

If a boss isn't someone who fits the criteria a worker establishes, and if he isn't a leader, Collins said to fire him.

"People do not quit jobs, they quit bad bosses," he said.

Other principles Collins outlines in his book include doing what your boss doesn't like to do or doesn't do well, helping your boss succeed and doing more than expected.

Being a good follower creates an active partnership that will give an employee freedom to make decisions and help them advance their careers.

Collins said anyone in any field of work can apply these principles at any stage of his career.

Terry Grafton, customer relations manager for The Soderquist Center in Siloam Springs, said the three main points he took away from Collins' talk were that people follow principles, not rules; it's important to know what you are looking for; and to help your boss be successful.

He said he was going to share and encourage these ideas with young professionals he works with as well as his teen son.

"The pressure is on us to perform as workers, but we need to move on from that," he said. "It's not just about me, but looking at my boss' goal."

Andy Wilson, executive leader of ministry and operations at Cross Church, said Cathy and his son, Dan Cathy, have spoken to the group before. Truett Cathy retired as Chick-fil-A chairman and chief operating officer last year and his son is running the company.

"I read Jimmy's book, and it was only the second book on followership I've ever read," Wilson said. "He agreed to come and talk about his principles."

The Summit holds its last luncheon of the season from 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Thursday at Cross Church, 2448 Pinnacle Hills Parkway in Rogers. Bret Bielema, University of Arkansas head football coach, is the speaker. Tickets are $9 and can be purchased online at nwasummit.com or in the church office.

Wilson said the next season of speakers begins Sept. 18.