The Leadership Superpower Restaurants Need Most in 2026: The Courage to Believe in People

As we step into 2026, restaurant leaders everywhere are facing unprecedented challenges: labor shortages, rising expectations, cultural shifts, and a workforce that is demanding something far deeper than schedules and paychecks.

They want to be seen.

They want to be valued.

They want to work for leaders who believe in them, even before they fully believe in themselves.

Belief is one of the most powerful performance tools a leader will ever have, and one of the most underused.

And after over 25 years in this industry, three books, and thousands of conversations with restaurant operators, I can confidently say this:

Belief is one of the most powerful performance tools a leader will ever have, and one of the most underused.

I know this because someone once believed in me at a moment when there was no logical reason he should have.

And it changed everything.

A Life Changed in a Sandwich Shop

Twenty-five-plus years ago, long before I became the CEO of Restaurant HR Group, before the books, before the Academy, before the leadership training and public speaking, I was a young woman with no formal education, no experience, and no clear direction.

But I loved restaurants. And I loved a quirky little Chicago brand called Potbelly Sandwich Works.

One afternoon, by pure luck, I met Potbelly’s founder and CEO, Bryant Keil, inside one of his sandwich shops. I told him how much I loved the brand, how it made me feel, and how I dreamed of working for a company like his someday.

During our conversation, I learned he was hiring an HR leader to help grow the brand.

Then I saw the job posting:

Master’s degree preferred. HR experience required.
 

Well… I had neither.

But I sent my résumé anyway.

To my complete surprise, instead of dismissing it, Bryant interviewed me…once, twice, and then again. Not about technicalities or credentials, but about who I was: my work ethic, my character, my hunger to learn, the way I treat people.

He took a chance on the girl who didn’t check any of the boxes.

That one decision launched a decade of extraordinary growth together as we expanded Potbelly from three restaurants to more than 200 nationwide.

And in another twist of fate, Bryant also hired one of Potbelly’s very first multi-unit operators, a driven (and handsome) 😉 leader named John Luxem.

Years later… I married him.

When I say Bryant changed the course of my life, I mean it in more ways than one.

But the moment that shaped the leader I would become wasn’t a milestone.

It happened one month into the job.

“I Didn’t Hire You to Be an HR Expert.”

Before my first operator meeting, I was overwhelmed, terrified, convinced I was an imposter. I broke down in tears, certain I had just revealed why I wasn’t qualified in the first place.

Bryant didn’t flinch.

He didn’t judge.

He didn’t question if he had made a mistake.

I hired you because you care about people. You work hard. You’re passionate. You’re real. Go be you.

Instead, he said something that has guided my entire life:

“Carrie, I didn’t hire you because you’re an HR expert. I hired you because you care about people. You work hard. You’re passionate. You’re real. Go be you.”

It was a simple affirmation, yet it became a defining moment, the one that shaped the leader I would eventually become and ultimately the company I would go on to build.

A Full-Circle Moment: Belief That Ripples Across Generations

Here’s the beautiful thing about belief: it doesn’t end with the person you first invest in.

It multiplies.

More than 25 years after taking a chance on me, Bryant and his son, Hampden, are now Potbelly franchisees themselves, and in a full-circle moment I still smile about, they are clients of Restaurant HR Group today.

Their story was recently featured in Franchise Times, highlighting their growth and expansion into new markets.

To support them now, after all these years, feels like a chapter that only leadership-by-belief could write.

Why Belief Is a Modern Leadership Imperative

Today, as the CEO of Restaurant HR Group, I lead with the same philosophy Bryant modeled:

• People first.
• Character over credentials.
• Support over judgment.
• Belief over perfection.

And I’ve seen firsthand, across thousands of restaurants, operators, HR leaders, and teams, that belief isn’t soft. It isn’t sentimental. And it isn’t optional.

• Belief strengthens performance.
• Belief accelerates growth.
• Belief shapes culture more than any policy ever will.

When leaders genuinely believe in their people:

• Initiative skyrockets
• Confidence grows
• Retention stabilizes
• Coaching becomes easier
• Teams rise to meet expectations they never thought they could reach

Belief is a catalyst, not a compliment.

What This Means for Restaurant Leaders in 2026

As we navigate staffing challenges and cultural transformation, restaurant leaders must use the tool that technology can’t replicate and training alone can’t create:

The ability to see potential in someone before it’s fully formed.

Here’s how to execute that immediately:

1. Look past the résumé.

The best people rarely fit a perfect mold.

2. Say out loud what you see in people.

Belief unspoken is belief unfelt.

3. Give opportunities before someone feels “ready.”

Growth is rarely comfortable.

4. Coach with encouragement, not intimidation.

Accountability delivered with compassion creates confidence.

5. Remember that belief is contagious.

When leaders invest in one person, that person influences dozens more.

I am living proof.

A Legacy That Lives On

Bryant’s belief didn’t just change my life.

It shaped the mission, culture, and heartbeat of Restaurant HR Group.

It continues to impact every teammate, every client, every restaurant leader we support today, including the Potbelly leaders who helped shape my earliest years.

And that is the power of leadership.

When you believe in one person, you’re not just changing a moment for them,
you may be changing their entire future.

As we enter 2026, my challenge to every restaurant leader is this:

Look for someone who doesn’t yet see in themselves what you see in them and tell them.

That belief might be the very thing that transforms their life, your business, and our entire industry.