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Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald's
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Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald's

The 7 Leadership Principles that Drive Break Out Success

Paul Facella and Adina Genn
McGraw-Hill, 2008
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Every day, McDonald's serves food to nearly 50 million people in 30,000 restaurants worldwide. It owns about half of the globally branded, fast food restaurants outside the U.S. In India, you can order a Maharaja Mac with two lamb patties. New Zealand’s Kiwi Burger has a slice of beef and a fried egg. In Uruguay, the egg on the McHuevo burger is poached. With annual sales at the typical outlet averaging more than $2 million, many franchisees have become millionaires. In fact, seven out of 10 current McDonald’s executives began as restaurant “crewmembers” and built their careers through the chain. Ray Kroc, who made McDonald’s the world’s largest fast food company, once said he didn’t know what type of food it would be selling in the year 2000 (he died in 1984), but he was certain that it would be selling more of that food than anyone else. Author Paul Facella worked at McDonald's for 33 years. Albeit with the attitude of a fond insider, he details its history and philosophy, and the lessons he learned from the legendary Kroc. getAbstract relishes serving up this primer on McDonald’s – and in some sense, America’s – way of doing business.

Summary

The Big Mac: It Certainly Is That

Paul Facella’s career at McDonald’s began in 1966 at store number 768 on New York’s Long Island. At age 16, he started as a member of the kitchen crew. At the time, McDonald’s had 862 restaurants and $219 million in sales. By the time Facella retired from the company’s management 33 years later, it had 28,707 stores and more than $40 billion in annual sales. No other restaurant organization in the world can match its amazing growth rate or sales figures. McDonald’s, known for its iconic Golden Arches and its famous Big Mac hamburger, is one of the world’s most recognized brands. McDonald’s proud advertising message, “billions and billions sold,” shows how well its marketing works. At heart, the business operates with clear, elevated principles, including its touchstone: “QSC” – “quality, service and cleanliness.”

The company built its international franchise on seven “leadership principles”: probity, strong interpersonal bonds, high quality, leadership, valor, communication and acknowledgment of its top achievers. These touchstones continue to mold the way the company operates:

1. “Honesty and Integrity: All in a Handshake”

About the Authors

Paul Facella spent 33 years at McDonald’s, advancing from crewperson to regional vice president. He learned about business directly from McDonald’s founder, the legendary Ray Kroc. Adina Genn is a journalist.

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