Years before Damola Adamolekun was tapped to serve as Red Lobster’s CEO—and save the brand from an endless shrimp-induced bankruptcy—he was tasked with mastering a smaller version of pretty much the same job: keeping tables happy and well-fed.
The 37-year-old first began his career like the thousands of his employees: as a server. While in high school, Adamolekun worked at Clyde’s, a local chain at the time located in suburban Maryland. He said it was there that he learned how to read people quickly, smooth over tense interactions, and make a customer feel even better than when they first walked through the door. Those were early lessons in a leadership skill he now considers indispensable.
