Hone your craft and become a student of your industry Never stop learning. Always keep sharpening the tools in your toolbox and don’t be afraid to learn from those around you. Take all the opportunities presented to increase your value and competitive advantage. The world and the restaurant industry is ever changing and you don’t want to be left behind.  [caption id="attachment_229517" align="alignright" width="198"] SoDel Concepts CEO Scott Kammerer[/caption] Build relationships with successful people in all aspects of your industry Being around successful people in all facets of life will always help you grow. Surrounding yourself with successful people in your industry, specifically, will assist in your development as a leader. Asking questions and putting yourself in a position to learn new concepts and ideas will help set you and your business apart and be seen as experts in your industry.   Spot Opportunities The way to get better at spotting opportunities is to look at all of them. Hone in on what it is that makes an opportunity worthwhile for your company. Ask questions and keep practicing.   Believe In Yourself, Act Decisively   Empower yourself and the people around you to make decisions. You can always review and reflect, but you cannot gain back a missed opportunity. Allowing yourself and your team to make decisions gives you a competitive advantage and builds confidence.    Identify Talent & Build A Team You want people on your team that will support your mission and help drive business forward.  The most skilled person is not always the most talented person. Know your team members and deliberately build teams of trustworthy people that are built for success. Create Systems To Perpetuate Success Systems create standards and affect all aspects of your business. Long-term growth, training, consistency, value, culture and change all come from strong systems. Taking the time to implement strong systems early on will set you up for long term success.   Invest In Your Business, Support Your Team Put money back into your business as often as you can.  Invest in professional development, growing your business and adding critical players to key teams. Share your visions and plans with your team so they feel included, supported, and will rally behind you to push your business goals forward. Form An Exit Strategy A good succession plan is crucial. When an exit is unplanned, drawn out or not conducted until it is too late, not only does the company suffer but so do the employees, the successor, and the exiting CEO. A good exit strategy has clearly laid out roles and responsibilities, is transparent and communicated to all involved parties and sets up a clean break.   Fine Tune Your Business Fine tuning your business is something that should be done continually throughout your career; however, it is especially important as your time comes to an end. You want to leave your business, your employees, and your legacy in the best possible position.   Implement Your Exit Strategy You have done the work. You have set up the succession plans. You have given what you have to give and now it is time to move on.    Scott Kammerer is the CEO of SoDel Concepts.