Breaking Bread, Building Leaders: Why It’s Time to Bring Leadership Back to the Table
It’s been over four years since the world hit pause.
We pivoted. We Zoomed. We adapted. We canceled offsites and celebrated work anniversaries through webcams. Some of us learned to lead through lag time and low bandwidth, balancing humanity with performance as we redefined “normal.”
But now — with doors wide open and calendars full again — I have one question:
When was the last time you truly broke bread with someone you lead?
I don’t mean a working lunch where you were both on your phones, nor a perfunctory “good to see you” at a corporate mixer. I’m talking about the kind of shared table where people feel seen, safe, and nourished — where a conversation becomes a connection.
Because here’s the thing: great leadership doesn’t happen in meetings. It’s cultivated in moments of shared experience.
Leadership Is Best Served Warm
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years in the C-suite — and years in the kitchen — it’s that you can’t fake depth. You can’t microwave trust. You can’t serve cold authenticity. And you certainly can’t build culture through mass emails and mandatory webinars.
Leadership, like food, is about preparation, presence, and purpose.
I’ve had career-defining moments sitting across from a teammate over lamb tagine. I’ve salvaged burnt-out dynamics during pasta-making classes. I once watched a team realign over a shared bottle of Barolo and a late dinner after a long client day.
These weren’t perks. They were practice.
They were part of what we call FEED leadership — not because it’s cute or trendy, but because food gives us a framework for what leadership should feel like: nourishing, energizing, connective, and human.
Post-Pandemic Leadership Needs More Tables, Fewer Towers
Remote work unlocked flexibility. It did not unlock connection.
In fact, Gallup reports that employee engagement is declining again, with fewer people saying their leaders care, listen, or know what drives them. We’re back in the office — but we’re still far apart.
And what’s suffered most? Culture.
Real leadership doesn’t scale through Slack. Culture isn’t built during QBRs. It’s built when someone decides to sit down and share a meal, not because it’s scheduled, but because they care.
You want to re-engage your people?
Start making space for them to be people.
The Table Is the New Town Hall
Here’s my invitation:
If you're serious about re-building trust, rekindling engagement, or reimagining team chemistry, host a meal.
Invite your team to lunch and ask about the best meal they’ve ever had.
Have your next 1:1 offsite catered by someone’s grandmother, not a corporate vendor.
Break routine, break expectations, and yes, break bread.
You’ll be surprised what gets shared over salt and butter that never makes it into performance reviews.
Because people don’t just follow managers. They follow those who make them feel like they belong.
Closing Thought
You don’t have to be a five-star chef to be a five-star leader.
But if you want to serve your team well in this new era of work, start leading like you’re setting the table.
More soon — and yes, we’ll get into the full recipe later.
For now, bring your team to the table. Listen. Learn. And lead like it matters.
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