The Union Club of Cleveland’s Lawrence McFadden, CMC, GM/COO, is committed first and foremost to helping people succeed in life.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about leadership responsibilities, my altruistic role in my role as General Manager of The Union Club of Cleveland, and how open I am to what life presents.
I often use the phrase, “Living the dream.” But in all seriousness, my life has been blessed in many ways. Similarly, our club members’ lives seem equally blessed. Their resumes are full of community, civic and philanthropic efforts. Members with the greatest service resumes are often linked to strong business ethics. They’re also generally well-intentioned, good people.
As budding chefs, we learned technique, organization, teamwork and speed. We don’t learn sociology, nor are we frequently measured for our emotional intelligence. Recently, something happened at our club that caused me to ponder my career and my role within our culture (not to mention my role as a human being in a sometimes difficult and changing world).
We’ve all heard the phrase, the character of a man can be found in the company he keeps. I’m humbled by many of my friends who continue to work toward a greater good, including Norman Love (Make A Wish charity), Orlin McLendon (Palm Beach Homeless alliances), Craig Martin (Greenbrier County Association), and Fred Tiess (Mercy Chefs) among others. These individuals are heroes in many ways. And they often inspire me to think about the greater good and act more selflessly towards others.
When I lived in Florida, I was working at a pool restaurant. The chef was in the middle of the cook’s line, reading the orders. When she reached for the ticket, I noticed some ghastly bruises and finger marks on her forearms.
As managers, we walk a fine line between personal and professional involvement in our team members’ lives, but I try to support my colleagues no matter the circumstance. I also take ownership of the relationships I have with my colleagues. I want them to see me and the organization they work for as part of their support system.
A few days later, this chef came into work with one eye swollen shut. She worked quietly as if nothing was amiss, but when we started service, she couldn’t read the tickets. We switched places and she began to get teary-eyed. She said she didn’t want to let me down. We got through service and during the cleanup, she and I had a difficult conversation.
She shared the haunting reality of her life. She told me the only thing keeping her alive is knowing I expected her to report to work. This chilling acknowledgment brought me full circle and reminded me that we must always put people first. I pushed my political influence in the organization into action. We immediately housed her with a fellow employee and in a few weeks, a shelter opened where she could stay safely.
She gained strength and later moved out of state. But I still think of her safety today and the important lesson I learned. When you invest in people in a way that makes their lives better, you’ll be better for it too, and the results you will achieve together will be greater.
Years ago, we had a tremendously talented kitchen artist named Kenny Loh. His O-Visa was expiring and the application process dragged on to no avail. Without assistance, he would have had to leave the country with no guarantee he could ever reenter.
People can find another job, but they can not always find a home where they feel safe.
Our company was global, so transfers were common. We placed Kenny on the global job site for any sister properties that might have an interest. The clock was ticking, rent and cost of living were mounting. So, the property’s GM, controller and I started collecting monies and paying him in cash for several months until he could secure another position. I’m happy to say that today, Kenny and his family are American citizens, proudly contributing to our society.
While the short-term solution wasn’t legally the best-case scenario in this example, the altruistic view of taking care of others despite the risk inspired the team—and Kenny. People must be made the priority.
A few years ago, while doing my daily garage (that was set up professionally with the help of garage door repair west lake hills) walk here at The Union Club, it began to rain. I noticed one of the employee’s car windows was open, soaking her seats. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the back seat was loaded with personal belonging.
I circled back with her supervisor and learned that her window was broken. We had it fixed but soon learned that she had been sleeping in her car for months. We immediately moved her into one of the club’s out-of-order rooms, with permission from the membership. It was a safe, temporary solution until a city search of the public housing system could provide her with a suitable residence.
Navigating the public assistance program was enlightening for me, but with the help of a few powerful members, we are proud to say she has a new home and is safe.
As chefs, we always care about our ingredients but we often end up caring for those less fortunate, too.
Today, I am privileged to start another quest in assisting a long-term employee whose grandson has been accused of murder. My role is not about guilt or justice, just to find a legal partnership that can represent her family with potential solutions.
We don’t have to aspire to be Mother Teresa in order to be a more altruistic leader. We must simply believe in the power of putting others first and then make that an active part of our leadership style.