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

5 Min Watch By Carrie Luxem

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 ShopTwenty-five-plus years ago, long before I became the CEO of Restaurant HR Group, before the…