In the first of a series of Leadership Snapshots, we look at the man who headed off a potential social media disaster for Domino’s within weeks of taking up the position of CEO, completely changed Domino’s pizza recipe in 2010, and has taken Domino’s share price to new heights. Then we give you the chance to find out how you match up in our one-minute Leadership Skills Test.
Leadership Snapshot: J Patrick Doyle, President and CEO, Domino's
Leadership Skills Test:
Could you run the largest pizza franchise in the world?
Answer the four multi-choice questions below. They are all related to the leadership style and problem solving ability of J Patrick Doyle, President and CEO of Domino’s Pizza based in Ann Arbor, USA. What would Doyle have done? The answers are at the bottom of the page.
1. Just after you’ve started as CEO of Domino’s, a social media crisis goes viral
after two franchise employees place a video of their shenanigans
on YouTube. What do you do in response?
a. Nothing – they’re just kids, and the whole thing will go away in time
b. Come down on them like a ton of bricks with a lawsuit to ensure this
sort of thing never happens again
c. Create your own video addressing the issue and invite Domino’s
customers to voice their opinions in live Twitter and Facebook
feeds on the Domino’s website
2. Domino’s franchisees set up their own franchisee association to represent
their interests. What do you do in response?
a. Ignore them – only the disaffected franchisees will get involved in the
association, the rest will get on with making money
b. Not only recognise them but give them representation at Domino’s
branding meetings
3. Who do you as CEO serve first?
a. Franchisees
b. Customers
c. The Company
4. What is your primary focus as CEO?
a. To increase Domino’s overall sales and market share
b. To reduce the Domino’s parent company debt levels
c. To increase Domino’s share price
d. To increase Domino’s franchisees’ profitability in conjunction with all of
the above
Answers:
1. c Doyle effectively defused the whole situation by responding openly and
positively
2. b Doyle is famous for his collaborative, relationship-driven approach to
leadership
3. a Doyle has said he serves the franchisees first, because if they’re happy, the
customers and the company’s shareholders will be happy
4. d Doyle has been particularly successful since 2010 in increasing
franchisees' gross margins as well as their sales and market share - no
mean feat! - and also increased Domino's share price by 110% in 2011 (it has dropped back a bit since but is still well above where it was
when he took the helm in 2010)