Lessons from Damola Adamolekun

Damola Adamolekun led P.F. Chang’s before becoming CEO of Red Lobster in 2024. His interviews connect leadership practice, personal discipline and restaurant turnaround work. — Goldman Sachs Alumni Q&A.

On Leadership and Vision

On believing you belong: Adamolekun encourages aspiring leaders not to let other people decide whether they belong in a CEO role. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On learning to lead: He advises students to lead an organization or project because responsibility teaches communication, motivation and the difficulties of leadership. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On setting a high bar: He argues that leaders can ask more of their teams when expectations are clear and ambitious. — Corporate Competitor Podcast.
On building morale: Small wins can help a team regain belief in its ability to succeed. — Corporate Competitor Podcast.
On diplomacy: Alongside technical skill, he emphasizes learning to work with people, build relationships and communicate well. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On age and leadership: He resists treating age alone as a measure of a leader’s capability; experience, character and communication also matter. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On staffing a restaurant: At P.F. Chang’s, he paired operational efficiency with competing to attract and keep strong staff in a tight labor market. — RestaurantSpaces Interview.

On Work Ethic and Personal Discipline

On work-life integration: Adamolekun has described work and life as intertwined for him personally, while acknowledging that other people need different boundaries and that employees need time away. — Fortune Daily Routine Interview.
On an early daily win: He describes doing something challenging early in the day, such as running, to start with a sense of accomplishment. — Corporate Competitor Podcast.
On earning progress: In his career advice, he emphasizes deliberate effort and taking responsibility for the opportunities available to you. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On the work behind success: He cautions against treating success as a shortcut: sustained work, focus and determination matter. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On his father’s standard: Adamolekun says his father urged him to become excellent at whatever work he chose. — Washington Post Live Interview.
On mastery in any occupation: His father used the example of a successful barber to show that excellence can create opportunity in work beyond prestigious professions. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On early business curiosity: He says business interested him when he was young, before he chose a finance career. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On early investing: He recalls working in high school and opening an investment account as a teenager, reflecting an early interest in finance. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On lessons from football: He connects his college football experience with habits of duty, hard work and sacrifice. — Corporate Competitor Podcast.

On Strategy and Turnarounds

On a brand’s roots: In rebuilding Red Lobster, he wanted to preserve the familiar food and experiences guests valued while changing what was not working. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On turnaround discipline: His Red Lobster plan combined the brand’s recognizable strengths with operational discipline and a better guest experience. — Goldman Sachs Alumni Q&A.
On two restaurant channels: He sees dine-in and off-premise as related but distinct businesses and argues that growing one need not require neglecting the other. — RestaurantSpaces Interview.
On the full guest experience: He argues that getting diners to return depends on the whole visit, not food alone. — RestaurantSpaces Interview.
On calculated risk: He describes taking on Red Lobster as a calculated risk after assessing whether the business could be saved. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On a difficult rescue: He believed Red Lobster was worth saving while being explicit that its turnaround would be difficult. — The Breakfast Club Interview.
On focus as CEO: While leading P.F. Chang’s, he described concentrating on making that business successful rather than planning his next role. — RestaurantSpaces Interview.
On adapting channels: At P.F. Chang’s, he pursued takeout and off-premise formats alongside full-service dining as customers’ needs changed. — Nation’s Restaurant News Interview.
On owner–operator alignment: He says a CEO and owners need agreement on the strategy because management is accountable for executing it. — The Breakfast Club Interview.

On Personal Growth and Advice for the Next Generation

On using college deliberately: He advises students to use college to develop traits and habits that will serve them beyond graduation. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On public speaking: He recommends practicing public speaking because professional life repeatedly calls for persuading and communicating with others. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On finance literacy: He advises learning the basics of finance, calling it a useful language for understanding business. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On taking opportunities: He urges young people to take available opportunities seriously and build the lives they want. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On curiosity: He advises people starting out to ask questions and keep learning. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On attitude to work: He argues that the way a person approaches their work can shape how much they learn and achieve. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On growing fields: He suggests choosing a growing field when possible, because expanding opportunities can support a career. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.

On Culture and Diversity

On adapting across countries: Adamolekun describes growing up across several countries before building his career in the United States; his experience illustrates adaptation, though he does not claim it guarantees leadership skill. — The SCLA — CEO Unscripted.
On representation in leadership: In a direct interview, Adamolekun reflects that the visibility of a Black CEO can help other people picture themselves in leadership. — The Black Lens Interview.
On international alignment: He notes that decisions at P.F. Chang’s affected international partners and vice versa, making alignment across the system important. — RestaurantSpaces Interview.
On hospitality habits: In Red Lobster’s turnaround, he emphasized training and service behaviors that make guests feel welcomed, not just operational changes. — MURTEC Fireside Chat.
On younger diners: He considered how the restaurant’s atmosphere and overall experience could appeal to younger diners while retaining the brand’s familiar strengths. — MURTEC Fireside Chat.

Learn more:

Lessons from Damola Adamolekun

On Leadership and Vision

On Work Ethic and Personal Discipline

On Strategy and Turnarounds

On Personal Growth and Advice for the Next Generation

On Culture and Diversity

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