Posted on 10/22/2011 9:51:37 AM PDT by MitchellC
Herman Cain's former employees at Godfather's Pizza recall him as an energetic and dynamic leader. They say he listened to new ideas and went out of his way to remember everyone's name and wanted his team to do the same.
Four times a year, Godfather's executives would hold corporate meetings with all 300 employees in the company's auditorium in its Omaha headquarters. According to two former employees, at each meeting, Cain would pick one executive at random and call them onto the stage to identify each employee by name. If the executive missed any names, they would be required to take that person to lunch.
Cain himself took the "employee of the quarter" to lunch personally and was known for cheerleading his staff. One former employee, Jolene Jeffries, said she can't recall ever seeing Cain angry. She said, instead, he would rally employees by saying things like, "We can do better than this." One employee told CBS News he recalled a day when he and his colleagues went into Cain's office expecting a stern talking to, only to be shocked when he surprised them with bonus checks.
Employees concede that Cain downsized Godfather's after the company was bought from Pillsbury in the mid 1980's but one said, "It was mostly through attrition." One employee said stores were also closed to "stop the bleeding" so the company could become more profitable.
During the downsizing, one employee surprised Cain by offering to eliminate his own job. Bruce Newharth who is now the President and COO of Arrow Stagelines in Norfolk, Nebraska says he helped Cain develop his first "100 day strategy" to turn the company around after it was bought from Pillsbury.
Newharth, who worked as the head of Godfather's training at the time, said when he looked at the restructuring that needed to happen he concluded that his own job was no longer necessary. He says he presented this to Cain saying this move would be "true to Godfather's and to himself". Weeks later Newharth was downsized but he says Cain helped him land a job in worldwide training at Burger King.
Former employees say Cain would regularly solicit and implement ideas from junior employees, even teenagers who worked at the chain's stores.
In the mid 1990's Cain was personally featured in Godfather's TV ads and as a result the company received threatening racist phone calls directed at Cain from the Pacific Northwest according to two former employees. One employee who golfed regularly with Cain, told CBS News that the CEO also faced threats in the South. Because of this, the employee said, Cain would fly from city to city instead of driving due to safety concerns. Former employees said Cain appeared to easily shake off the threats. A campaign spokesman did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
I couldn’t see what is causing that x...I will take anotherlook...LOL.
Did you see my ping to you big bad easter bunny’s post to Herman Cain Face book page?
He started a “FReepers For Herman Cain on FaceBook”!
I thought a PING to the List was in order for that!
I posted at FaceBook on the page.
Here is the reason why I like Herman Cain despite his lack of political experience, it is because he is a LEADER. A leader finds the right people to put in the right places and doesn’t need to know the specific details of all issues. A leader inspires others from a set of core beliefs. I believe Herman Cain is that type of person.
From the article:
“Employees concede that Cain downsized Godfather’s after the company was bought from Pillsbury . . .”
The author makes this point as if it was something Cain should feel guilty about - in fact, it’s almost certain that without those downsizing measures the company wouldn’t have survived, meaning that instead of some folks losing their job, *everybody* would’ve lost their job.
Which is relevant, because if there’s one thing we need, it’s somebody with the balls to downsize the federal government, a proposition that is sure to lead to wailing and gnashing of teeth in the MSM at a level we can scarcely imagine.
Well let’s see....I have gone from backing MB, to Perry, to urging Sarah to run only to last week sending Cain a contribution. Newt has moved to the “on-deck” circle. Something about Herman’s personality has me rooting for him to stick. I’m really tired of being disappointed by our “keystone” group of candidates.
You’re right, it does. Thanks for the ping!
Good point!
Sure did. I’m a member now! Shame they don’t let us see the other freepers.
I agree with your assessment. He knows how to lead, how make the hard choices and he doesn’t crush people to do it he actually elevates them.
Wonder what Obaba was like when he was a CEO?
RLY?
I posted my comment and then wrote (onyx) so everyone would know. My picture posted with my comment.
How on earth did you obtain his sealed records?.....
/s for those "above the head" types.
Yeah, but most of the folks there we can’t see, sadly. :)
Oh well.
Even the MSM has limited resources. They were devoted to important things like the status of Joe the plumber Wurzelbacher's trade license and the DNA of Palin's Downs Syndrome child.
I just looked. You’re right.
:(
Cain is the only candidate I trust who will actually carry through with “downsizing” the Imperial Federal Government.
He has my vote, even if he does play golf.
Cain/Palin '12
ditto.
I’ve been on the Cain Train since day one. He’s a good man, conservative and NOT a politician. Maybe he’s made a few mistakes here in there but frankly, when he sits down in George Bush’s former office on day one, he’ll be just fine, mistakes forgotten!
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