MANAGEMENT
Lessons in Leadership:
Set an Example and Invest in Your Staff
Gus Nikiforides, Executive Chef, Pelham CC
Food and beverage leadership means treating people with respect—and passing on knowledge through training and mentorship. By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor
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Club + Resort Chef
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May 2022
AFTER 30 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY, Gus Nikiforides’ leadership style has mellowed—a quality he says comes with age. “Eventually you find, by stressing out and going crazy, you still have the same results,” he says. “You can achieve the same results by being calm. All you’re doing is upsetting yourself and everyone around you.” Still, as Executive Chef of Pelham Country Club (Pelham Manor, N.Y.) Nikiforides abides by a few longstanding tactics: “work ethic, work ethic, work ethic—and watch what people do.” Leadership starts with observation, he says. Let your staff show you who they are. Then guide them from there. “I see the people who want to learn, and I’m always available for them because I want to build a great team,” he says. “It’s not that I don’t pay attention to the people who are not as willing—but I pay extra attention to the people who really want to learn.” www.clubandresortchef.com
