If You Can Work Like This Chef, You'll Be Guaranteed Success

The first time I met Thomas Keller, it was at his New York City restaurant, Per Se, where we were about to do a Bloomberg Television interview. Chef Keller was dressed in a sharp suit to match his business partners, Related Chairman/CEO Steve Ross and Related Urban CEO Ken Himmel.

Then came the kitchen tour. Suddenly, Chef Keller appeared in his pristine white uniform. In the time it took me to unwire myself from the cameras, Chef Keller was ready for the next part of business. And so were his staff—dozens swarmed around the kitchen preparing for a typical weeknight at the Michelin-starred establishment.

You can learn a lot about running a business by watching Chef Keller run his kitchen. I saw firsthand the exacting, detail-oriented approach that enabled him to build two of the country’s most sought-after restaurants. Here’s what I took away from watching Chef Keller work:

1. Execution is near-flawless. Chef Keller is known for how consistent and precise his dishes are. You experience each dish done exactly as it was meant to be— which is no easy feat at such a high level, 365 days a year.
2. No detail is too small. Chef Keller looks at every detail with care—from the future of his restaurant to whether the spoons are the right size. Some might dismiss this focus as "maniacal," but the fact of the matter is that every detail matters. No problem is too big or too small to be given some attention.
3. Setbacks are opportunities. Chef Keller has had his share of setbacks. His first restaurant closed after the stock market crashed. Per Se was almost wiped out right when it first opened after a fire blazed through the kitchen. After the Chef began receiving congratulatory calls from his peers in Asia who said a fire was actually good luck, he began to rebuild Per Se into the restaurant it is today. Everyone goes through hard times. The trick is to adjust your vision and find your opportunity when those setbacks happen.
4. Don't be afraid to apologize. When the New York Times wrote a critical review of Per Se that set off a tizzy in the luxury dining world, Chef Keller came out with a direct apology. "We are sorry we let you down," he wrote. "When we fall short, we work even harder." His simple, direct acknowledgement tamped down on any speculation as to what might happen next, and allowed everyone to move on.
5. Surround yourself with talent. It's a cliché among leaders, but it's so true, no matter what business you're running. If a top chef is not recruiting colleagues with the potential to become as good as (or better than) him or her, he or she is not doing the right job. "If you're hiring the right people, then ultimately they'll be better than you," Chef Keller told Men's Health a few years ago. Here are just a few of the star chefs who got their start working under him.

Chef Keller’s tight ship of a business left a lasting impression on me. But what really sold me was the food. If you can’t wait a month-plus for that Per Se reservation to come through, this new Radiate video might tide you over:

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