Kelli Valade
National Restaurant Association
In sports—and in business—true leaders know the win is never about one person. Think about NBA player Wilt Chamberlain. He scored an unbelievable 100 points in a single game. But his Philadelphia Warriors still needed help to get the victory, 169–147.
Kelli Valade knows what that’s like. She wasn’t scoring all the points, but she was setting the table.
Long before she became CEO of Denny’s Corporation, Valade was a scrappy shortstop and pitcher in upstate New York, hitting leadoff for her softball team. Her job wasn’t to knock it out of the park—it was to get on base and trust that her teammates would bring her home.
“I wasn’t the _best_ hitter,” Valade said in a recent interview. “But I was consistent. I was the tone setter. Looking back on it, it makes sense now—I didn’t have the most home runs, I didn’t have the best average, but consistently I was sought out to lead even then.”
Valade understood her role clearly. Her job was to set up stronger players for success. She found her niche—to be both scrappy and reliable—and she embraced the idea that those traits led to myriad victories. This experience became foundational later in life as she climbed the corporate ladder and forged her own path toward her professional wins.
“I was always really clear on my role,” she said. “Keeping us balanced, setting the strongest players up for success.”
As a teenager, Valade took the lessons she learned on the diamond into food service. At 16, she got a job as a hostess, and she learned that she had the talent not just to _greet_ guests who came in, but to _see_ them. And like a superhero discovering her superpowers, Valade went on to build a lifelong career in hospitality, which has since included roles at Chili’s, Red Lobster, and Black Box Intelligence, thanks to a keen sense of relationship building.
Valade, who was adopted as a child, went to find her birth parents at age 47. That changed her life. Not only was it incredible to meet the people who brought her into the world (her father, she discovered, ran his own Italian restaurant), but she later found out that sharing her personal story with her staff was the best way to connect with them and build a foundation of trust. “What I’ve learned,” Valade said, “is that it’s not just an adoption story. It’s about showing your vulnerability, and in turn, what appears to be a weakness becomes a towering strength.”
For Valade, recognizing that people want to be seen is essential in her role as CEO today. It’s how she sets her business up for success. But it’s also a two-way street. While she works to understand her employees, she also allows _herself_ to be seen. Now, staff members approach her by saying, “I’ve heard your story, can I share mine?”
Human beings are more than merely workers doing a job. They have personal histories, daily struggles, and carry with them emotions that can’t be summed up in a resume page. Valade knows this and, in turn, understands that it’s important for any business leader to care about their employees outside of the job. “Know me, see me, connect with me,” she said, as if repeating a mantra. “Care about me _beyond_ the role.”
UNITED STATES - MAY 10: Basketball: NBA Playoffs, Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan (23) in action, ... More making dunk vs Philadelphia 76ers, Game 3, Philadelphia, PA 5/10/1991 (Photo by Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X41393)
Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
While Valade learned these important insights early on, for some, it doesn’t always work that quickly. During the first six years of his Hall of Fame basketball career, Chicago Bulls standout Michael Jordan famously never fully trusted his teammates. It was only when his coach Phil Jackson hammered the idea of _passing the ball_ in the 1991 NBA Finals that Jordan finally took home the elusive championship trophy. Later, Jordan brought those ideas to the diamond as a minor league baseball player and was [a famously “generous” teammate](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2020/05/07/michael-jordan-was-very-generous-to-his-baseball-teammates-while-taking-his-spot-in-the-white-sox-organization-seriously-we-worked-7-days-per-week/).
And while he was a great scorer, Wilt Chamberlain knew when to pass the ball. To this day, he is the only center to lead the NBA in assists for a season.
The Los Angeles Lakers' Wilt Chamberlain (13), lays into the basket with a one-handed dunk to score ... More two points in the first period. Joe Caldwell (27), and Zelmo Beaty (31) of the Atlanta Hawks look on as Chamberlain and the Lakers took the Hawks 104-96. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
Bettmann Archive
Today, Valade knows winning is a selfless process. Tunnel vision does her no good. In that same way, she wants her restaurants to be full service, feeding each guest’s mind, body and soul. She takes that idea into corporate meetings, too, asking those in attendance, “On a scale of 1-10, how are you arriving today?” She makes sure to listen to every response and she always answers last.
Similarly, when scouting the company’s competition, Valade encourages her employees to visit their competitors’ dining rooms as well as their own. She makes sure to keep in regular contact with other CEOs, asking them how they overcame certain challenges she might face. For her to be successful, Valade ensures she does everything she can to help her _team_ thrive. She leaves no stone unturned, no base untouched.