Professionalizing the Industry, Growing Future Leaders

By Chris Blasinsky

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The global convenience and fuel retailing industry has seen its fair share of challenges this year—most of which the industry has been able to overcome, adapt to and flex its resiliency and innovation strengths. But how can industry leaders continue to cultivate these attributes while bringing future leaders along to build bright and sustainable futures for their companies? Spoiler alert: It begins with education.

In last week’s Shop Talk Live webinar, Dan Munford of Global Convenience Store Focus, spoke with Dan Hooker, senior lecturer/executive education, at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, for his perspectives on what students should expect as they continue their journey to become future industry leaders. For example, be ready to learn how they’re perceived by others. At the NACS Executive Leadership Program at Cornell, a cornerstone of the weeklong program is a 360-degree assessment, where participants gain feedback from their colleagues and receive individual coaching provided by Cornell faculty.

“To be frank, there are some tears in the individual coaching sessions,” said Hooker, noting that the perceptions of peers and teammates can be surprising and emotional, especially when they hear feedback that doesn’t match how they perceive themselves. But as the week goes on, students have ah-ha moments as the curriculum helps them realize how to approach situations differently, improve their own leadership styles and make a difference in their organizations. 

As to whether leaders are born or made, it’s a bit of both. “You can be born to be a natural leader and you can be trained,” said Hooker, noting that there are tried and true methods that can help people become better leaders. In today’s climate, he stressed the need for empathy as leaders.

Rising Through the Ranks

Frank Gleeson, 2018-19 NACS chairman and president of Aramark Northern Europe, shared his leadership and continuing education story in a recent Convenience Corner blog post. In 2003, Gleeson attended the NACS program at Cornell, and this past year he returned as a guest speaker. He also gave a nod to mentorship, noting that leaders are shaped by those around them who share their wisdom and are willing to help the next generation take the next step to grow as leaders. “Learning from others shapes you and makes you better. It’s a journey—you never stop learning,” he said.

Executive leaders today are under more pressure than ever, noted Jacob Schram, CEO at Norwegian and author of “The Essence of Business.” Schram, a former Circle K executive and winner of the NACS European Convenience Industry Leader of the Year in 2017, shared some sage advice for future leaders: Don’t plan too much and have fun.

“That’s a serious comment. It’s important to succeed as a leader, but you have to enjoy what you’re doing and have passion for it,” said Schram, adding that he also looks for people who have scars from taking risks, especially if they failed and persevered through grit and determination. And yes, goal-setting is important, but it cannot be the one thing that drives you. “You could miss other opportunities along the way,” he said.

NACS Master of Convenience Pablo Andonie, president of AMPM Centro América, agreed that future leaders possess certain traits that have to be developed through continuing education. “Education is an investment—you have to invest in yourself and make the time to do that, to have a thirst for knowledge and learn from the people around you, the mistakes of others and be better for the future,” he said.

Leadership Development

Investing in education programs like NACS Executive Education can be challenging in a virtual environment, but there are also clear benefits. Hooker noted that being online allows the courses to scale and allow more participants, as well as save resources on in-person expenses and travel costs. Creative and fun networking opportunities keep participants engaged, and the online environment is conducive to individual coaching.

“I’m still a firm believer that we need the physical interaction, but for now this blended approach has its strengths. These programs were handpicked by NACS to deliver the highest quality and relevant information for our industry,” said Gleeson. “They move the entire industry forward in terms of the quality, which helps us all. Also, you have very little to lose and a lot to gain, so I encourage people to give it a shot.”

Chris Blasinsky is the NACS content communications strategist; she can be reached at [email protected], and on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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