Aces in Their Places

Some leadership lessons arrive in boardrooms.

Others arrive standing in front of a deep fryer.

One of mine came in 1999.

I was working at my local McDonald's restaurant while Sydney was counting down to the 2000 Olympic Games.

Like every Australian business at the time, McDonald's wanted to be part of the excitement.

Stores across the country competed in a national operations competition, with the winning restaurant earning tickets to the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Not just tickets.

The full experience.

For a teenager who loved sport, it was about as big as it got.

Making the team that represented your restaurant was fiercely competitive.

By this stage, I'd worked there for about three years and had started climbing the management ladder.

Naturally, I assumed I'd be selected.

I also assumed I'd be working one of the prestigious stations.

Big Macs.

Quarter Pounders.

Somewhere important.

Instead...

I was assigned to Chicken and Fish.

The Beginner's Station

To understand why I was disappointed, you need to understand how McDonald's worked in those days.

This was long before cook-to-order.

Back then, the philosophy was simple:

Cook stacks and relax.

Food was prepared in advance and customers expected their meals in around sixty seconds.

Every station mattered.

But the Chicken and Fish station was where almost everyone started.

It was the beginner's station.

To my teenage mind, it felt like a demotion.

I wasn't just disappointed.

I was offended.

So I marched into the manager's office to explain why they'd clearly made a mistake.

Four Words

I expected sympathy.

Maybe even a change of roster.

Instead, my manager looked at me and simply said,

"Aces in their places."

That was it.

Seeing the puzzled look on my face, he explained.

In a competition like this, every station mattered.

Judges weren't simply looking at speed.

They were looking at presentation.

Consistency.

Cleanliness.

Teamwork.

The difference between winning and losing could be something as small as a misplaced wrapper or a poorly presented burger.

He didn't need someone who thought they deserved the "important" station.

He needed someone who could perform wherever the team needed them most.

He needed an ace...

...in their place.

Status or Service?

At the time, I thought leadership was about earning the most prestigious role.

Looking back, I realise my manager was teaching me something much bigger.

Leadership isn't about status.

It's about stewardship.

The best leaders don't ask,

"Where do I want to play?"

They ask,

"Where can I best serve the team?"

That's a very different question.

Every Position Matters

We eventually made it through several rounds before being knocked out in the semi-finals.

I'll admit, part of me still believes we were at a disadvantage.

We had to compete during the lunch rush in another store.

They competed during a much quieter afternoon period.

I've never entirely let that go.

But the competition itself isn't what I remember.

I remember four words.

Aces in their places.

Over the years I've realised those words have nothing to do with McDonald's.

I've thought about them while building leadership teams.

While recruiting.

While coaching executives.

While helping organisations restructure.

One of the quickest ways to frustrate great people is to place them in roles that don't match their strengths.

Likewise, one of the quickest ways to elevate a team is to help people thrive where they naturally add the most value.

Great Leaders See Differently

As a young leader, I saw Chicken and Fish as the least important station.

My manager saw it as the station that couldn't afford mistakes.

I saw prestige.

He saw purpose.

I saw hierarchy.

He saw teamwork.

That shift in perspective changed the way I think about leadership.

Great leaders don't simply fill positions.

They understand people.

They know their strengths.

They understand their temperament.

They recognise where someone will flourish, not just where there's a vacancy.

Sometimes that means asking someone to step into a role that feels less glamorous.

Not because they're less capable.

Because they're the best person for that job.

Coaching Helps People Find Their Place

One of the greatest privileges I have as a coach is helping leaders discover where they are naturally at their best.

I've worked with people chasing promotions because they believed the next title would finally bring fulfilment. Others have been pursuing roles simply because they looked impressive on paper or because they felt that was the expected next step.

Sometimes, those ambitions are exactly right.

Other times, coaching uncovers something even better.

Not a bigger title.

A better fit.

A place where their strengths, values and purpose come together in a way that allows them to thrive.

I've come to believe that coaching isn't just about helping people climb the ladder.

It's about making sure the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

Because success isn't found in becoming someone else.

It's found in becoming the person you were created to be.

When that happens, work becomes more than a job.

Leadership becomes more than a position.

It becomes a calling.

Coaching isn't just about helping people climb the ladder. It's about helping them discover the place where they can make their greatest contribution.

The Team Wins Together

One of the greatest myths in leadership is that some roles matter more than others.

In reality, every team has a Chicken and Fish station.

Work that nobody notices when it's done well.

Work that's easy to overlook.

Work that's absolutely critical to success.

The older I get, the more respect I have for people who quietly excel in those places.

They don't need recognition to stay motivated.

They understand that great teams are built when everyone embraces their role and performs it with excellence.

Because championships aren't won by stars alone.

They're won when every person understands that their contribution matters.

Aces in Their Places

More than twenty-five years later, I still find myself repeating those four words.

Not because they remind me of McDonald's.

Because they remind me what leadership looks like.

Leadership isn't putting the most talented people into the most visible roles.

It's putting the right people in the right roles, for the right reasons, at the right time.

Sometimes that means leading from the front.

Sometimes it means serving quietly behind the scenes.

Both matter.

Because the strength of a team isn't determined by how many stars it has.

It's determined by whether every person is an ace...

...in their place.

Reflection

Before you build your next team, ask yourself:

• Am I placing people where they'll be seen, or where they'll succeed?

• Do I truly know the strengths of the people I lead?

• Have I confused status with significance?

• What "Chicken and Fish" stations in my organisation quietly determine success?

• Where am I trying to earn recognition instead of serving the mission?