Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade’s Secret To Building Trust At The Top

For some leaders in business, it might seem like the path to success requires a guarded or even rugged exterior. But for Kelli Valade, president and CEO of Denny’s Corporation, it’s quite the opposite. Over the years, she’s learned that her vulnerability—not her tough exterior—is her greatest strength.

The lesson can be traced back to when she was a teenager and she got her first job as a hostess. That’s when she discovered her ability to make guests feel seen. Like a superhero discovering her superpowers, Valade went on to build a lifelong career in hospitality, which has included roles at Chili’s, Red Lobster and Black Box Intelligence, thanks to her 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 quickly found out that sharing her personal story with her employees was the best way to connect with them and build a foundation of trust.

“What I’ve learned,” Valade explained on a recent episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast, “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. 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 staff members beyond the work. “Know me, see me, connect with me,” she said, as if repeating a mantra. “Care about me beyond the role.”

Valade shared this and other essential business insights on the podcast, including:

• Feed the body, mind and soul. A restaurant is more than just a place to find sustenance, the CEO said. It’s a meeting spot, a cultural hub and a place where people can share their lives with each other no matter what else is happening in the world. So, she and her staff work to foster each of these every day. 

• Ask how your employees are doing. Valade said that staff meetings regularly begin with a question, “On a scale of 1-10, how are you arriving today?” She lets everyone respond and she always answers last. “If somebody’s a five,” she offered, “there’s somebody else that can lift up that person.”

• Keep a close eye on your competition. Understanding the larger context of your business is multi-faceted, she explained. It’s important to take your team to your competitors, to self-scout by visiting your own locations and to stay well-connected to other industry leaders so that when you face a challenge, you can ask how others have come up with solutions.