This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Tim Lupinacci sits down with Kevin Williams, a Chick-fil-A franchise owner, to discuss his leadership journey. Kevin owns and operates three Chick-fil-A restaurants in Canton, Georgia, and has been a Chick-fil-A franchisee for over 30 years. Kevin is also a best-selling author and investor in the next generation, which inspired his book Irrational Kindness: A Crazy Pursuit of an Extraordinary Life. Irrational Kindness is an operating manual for life and part employee handbook that highlights principles that have shaped Kevin’s approach to leadership.

Kevin discusses insights from his book Irrational Kindness, including seeing failure as an opportunity to get better, holding on to values like hospitality, and impacting the lives of others. He emphasizes cheering on your team, creating an environment for people to grow, and celebrating the beauty of people.

Topics Discussed Include: 

• Kevin’s Leadership Journey to Becoming a Successful Chick-fil-A Franchisee Owner and Author
• Unconventional Business Decisions and the Influence of S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A
• People Who Believed in Kevin and Cheered Him On
• Inspirations For Kevin’s Book Irrational Kindness
• How to Accept Failures as Lessons and Respond Positively 
• Living Out Your Values
• Kevin’s Daily Disciplines and Principles
• Advice to Young Leaders to Grow Their Leadership
• People Who Lead Without Titles
• The New Ground Foundation

Additional Resources: 

Charity:

• This episode is in support of Kevin Williams's designated charity, New Ground Foundation. We have made a donation to New Ground Foundation as a thank you to Kevin for joining Everybody Leads. To learn more about New Ground Foundation, please visit https://www.newgroundfoundation.org/.

Books:

• Irrational Kindness by Kevin Williams: https://www.irrationalkindness.com/shop
• Bob Goff’s Books: https://www.bobgoff.com/books/
• The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
• Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Elon Musk Book by Walter Isaacson

Podcasts:

• Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast
• Dr. Laura Call of the Day Podcast

Contact Kevin Williams:

• Website: https://www.irrationalkindness.com/whoskevin
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-williams-90b183151/

Thank you for listening, and please join us again to hear from more exceptional leaders.

Click for more: 

• https://everybodyleads.org
• https://www.bakerdonelson.com

Producer: Jason Plank
Intern: Claudia Bonney Amamoo