C
CFA Leadership Path
Ops Leader Development
Week 1a Progress0%
Trainee: Demo
Week 1a — Preparing for Development

Welcome to your Ops Leader Path

This week sets the foundation. You will learn our Restaurant Customer Care Strategy, your six Key Result Areas, and our definition of leadership.

Time to complete: about 45 to 60 minutes of lessons, plus 30 minutes of reading.

What you will learn

  • 01 The Winning Hearts Every Day strategy and its two pillars
  • 02 The six Key Result Areas that define success in your role
  • 03 Our SERVE definition of leadership and HEART character
  • 04 Real-world application through scenarios and a knowledge check
Lesson 1 — Restaurant Customer Care Strategy

Winning Hearts Every Day

One of your key jobs is to execute the WHED strategy on every shift.

Why this matters: Every decision you make as an Ops Leader should serve this strategy. When in doubt, ask: does this help us win hearts today?

The Two Pillars

Operational Excellence

  • Craveable FoodMake it safe and follow procedures
  • Fast and Accurate ServiceBe quick and confirm orders
  • Welcoming EnvironmentKeep it clean, safe, and refreshing

2nd Mile Service

  • PersonalUse names, warm welcome, fond farewell
  • ProactiveCheck in and anticipate needs
  • GenerousSurprise and delight with food, fun, and more

THE FOUNDATION — Attentive and Friendly Team Members

The hands and heart of WHED. Pay attention to details. Deliver the Core 4 with every interaction. Recover quickly when something goes wrong.

Must memorize: The flashcards on the next screen will help.
Active Recall — Flashcards

Lock in the WHED Strategy

Tap each card to reveal the answer. Try to say it out loud before flipping.

What are the 2 Pillars of Winning Hearts Every Day?
TAP TO REVEAL
TAP TO FLIP BACK
Card 1 of 6
Lesson 2 — Your Role

The 6 Key Result Areas

These six KRAs define what success looks like for an Ops Leader. Tap each one to see what winning looks like and what it will take.

Your role summary: You are ultimately responsible for coordinating production and hospitality according to the vision of the Senior Leader and in alignment with our foundation and core values.
Apply the KRAs

Scenario: A Shift on the Edge

Read the scenario, then type your response. Your developer will review and give feedback.

It is 12:15 on a Friday. DT order taking is on pace, but you walk past the secondary zone and see empty chutes on nuggets and strips. The bottom of the warmer is half full. Your secondary lead, Marcus, is helping bag and looks frustrated. A team member tells you the chicken team is behind. Lunch is just getting started.

What are your next three moves, and who do you talk to first?

Coach's note: Strong responses identify the bottleneck (chicken production), reassign someone to support the secondary zone, and communicate the plan to Marcus and the team — all within 60 seconds.
Lesson 3 — Our Leadership Model

SERVE and The Leader's HEART

Leadership is more than what you do. It is who you are underneath. We use an iceberg to picture this.

10% Above the Surface
Leadership Skills (SERVE)
What people see
90% Below the Surface
Leadership Character (HEART)
Who you really are

SERVE — what we do

S
See the FutureAnticipate, plan ahead, read the forecast
E
Engage and Develop OthersConnect with the team, coach them up
R
Reinvent ContinuouslyAlways learning, always improving
V
Value Results and RelationshipsBoth matter, never trade one for the other
E
Embody a Leader's HEARTLive out the character below the line

HEART — who we are

H
Hungry for WisdomAlways learning
E
Expect the BestFrom yourself and the team
A
Accept ResponsibilityOwn the outcome, no excuses
R
Respond with CourageHave the hard conversation
T
Think About Others FirstServant leadership
Must memorize: Both SERVE and HEART.
Active Recall — Flashcards

Lock in SERVE and HEART

Same drill. Tap to reveal. These will resurface in 3 days, then 10 days, to lock them in.

What does the S in SERVE stand for?
TAP TO REVEAL
TAP TO FLIP BACK
Card 1 of 10
Knowledge Check

Week 1a Quiz

5 questions. You need 80 percent (4 of 5) to pass.

On the Job Application

Actions to Complete This Week

Knowledge sticks when you apply it. Check off each one. Your developer will sign off before Week 1b unlocks.

Download the CFA Now AppFor team scheduling and communication
Download the Chick-fil-A Support AppFor procedure references
Download the Chick-fil-A Supply AppFor inventory and ordering
Study and memorize the Ops Lead KRAsName all 6 from memory
Memorize the Winning Hearts Every Day strategy2 pillars, 3 components each, foundation
Memorize SERVE and HEARTBoth acronyms with brief explanation
Read: The Secret (with Study Guide)Bring notes to your next 1-on-1
Read: Performance Pipeline, p.147-166Be ready to discuss
Developer sign-off required: Once all items are checked, your developer will verify before Week 1b unlocks.
OK
Week 1a Complete

Strong work.

This is just the beginning. Keep showing up. — Ryan

You have the foundation. WHED, the six KRAs, SERVE and HEART. Now you carry it onto the shift.

Coming up — Week 1b

Team of Teams and Understanding the Restaurant System
Learn the 7 teams, the gears, visual indicators by zone, and how to spot bottlenecks before they slow the system down.