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One of the most critical responsibilities of a leader is to create the company’s culture and work environment. Leaders set the tone for how the company operates and how it feels to work there.
For Niren Chaudhary, CEO of Panera Brands, that means creating a people-first culture. Niren oversees 4,000 stores and nearly 130,000 global employees across three areas of Panera Brands: Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bagels. He says his job and the job of leaders across the company is to love the people. Some leaders shy away from loving their people, saying it creates relationships that are too personal, but Niren firmly believes that leaders must lead in love.
When employees feel loved and supported, it impacts their work and the entire company. Niren said,
“If we love our people, then they will delight our guests. And if they delight our guests, we will also serve our communities. And if we do that, that’s how we’ll create enterprise value.”
Creating a holistic environment and culture where people truly feel loved and cared for is Niren’s guiding leadership philosophy. With that as his reason for coming to work every day, other leaders in the company follow his example to build relationships with employees and love them.
Niren says consistency in how you show up builds trust. And that trust is what unlocks human potential.
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