Dare to Serve

How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others

By: Cheryl A. Bachelder

Narrated by: Cheryl A. Bachelder

Cheryl Bachelder joined an ailing restaurant chain and turned it into the darling of the industry - by daring to serve the people in her organization well. When Bachelder was named CEO of Popeyes in the fall of 2007, guest visits had been declining for years, restaurant sales and profit trends were negative, and the company stock price had dropped from $34 in 2002 to $13. The brand was stagnant, and relations between the company and its franchise owners were strained.

By 2014 average restaurant sales were up 25 percent, and profits were up 40 percent. Popeyes' market share had grown from 14 percent to 21 percent, and the stock price was over $40. The franchisees were so pleased with the turnaround that they began reinvesting in the brand, rapidly remodeling restaurants and building new units around the world. The difference maker, Bachelder says, was a conscious decision to lead in a new way.

She and her team created a workplace where people were treated with respect and dignity yet challenged to perform at the highest level. Silos and self were set aside in favor of collaboration and team play. And the results were measured with rigor and discipline. Servant leadership is sometimes derided as soft or ineffective, but this audiobook shows that it's actually challenging and tough minded - a daring path. Bachelder takes you firsthand through the transformation of Popeyes and shows how a leader at any level can become a Dare-to-Serve leader.

©2015 Cheryl Bachelder (P)2015 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

"Extraordinary! Dare to Serve describes the kind of leadership so desperately needed in the 21st century. A powerful blend of courage and humility, Cheryl Bachelder's engaging story offers a clear path for leaders to follow, and what makes her message so compelling is the tremendous results she's produced. I highly recommend this book." (Stephen M. R. Covey, number-one best-selling author of The Speed of Trust and coauthor of Smart Trust)

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loved it and very challenging. always better when author is also the narrator. must read for all leaders.

Exceeded my expectations

I learned something useful from this book. I was expecting platitudes and bragging by the author. This was actually very thoughtful information about how to lead well.

Excellent

This book teaches so much in such a short time. Humility is a trait that is hard to perfect. But this books explains its benefits thoroughly. Great read for budding entrepreneurs.

Exceptional Advice

I’ve had the chance to meet Cheryl on a few occasions. She is a wonderful person. The effort she has put into her career is evident in person and in her book, “Dare to Serve”. In her book she reveals in detail how serving others is good for business. It’s like that old saying. “Common sense isn’t that common”. So it is with serving others.

At the core of serving others is a Biblical world view. “Those who would be first, must be last”. This is wisdom for business and life.

I heartily endorse this book for anyone who wants to be better... at almost anything.

inspiring and challenging read

I was challenged and inspired to serve with excellence instead of just being a consumer. This is a great book for anyone in the service industry.

Good read, great story

enjoyed the journey. requires a willingness to trust in her results to see her through the journey. compelling story, brilliant life.

Good book, decent performance

Good stuff. Gets to the point. There are a few spots in the reading where the pitch of the author's voice changes for a sentence, then goes back to normal. Assuming that it was a re-recorded section. Overall, worth the read.

Servant Leadership at its Best!

Very well organized and easy to see how she transformed the company using servant leadership.

Mid 30’s - Still figuring life out- fabulous book

If you fancy yourself a future leader like myself, this book is a wonderful read. It places a lot of perspective between myself and those I would like to lead. A lack of personal understanding on my part of others is one reason that drove me to listen to this book. The other is my personal desire to understand how different women (like Cheryl) have harnessed success during trying times. Life is tough and Cheryl’s leadership style gives me hope.