My 1st Gig: Ken Bogard on Honest Leadership, Tough Lessons, and Building Teams That Win
On this week’s episode of My 1st Gig, hosts Ryan Gajewski and Allie Walker sit down with leadership advisor and author Ken Bogard to dig into the power—and limits—of honesty at work. From managing a dine‑in Pizza Hut at 17 to turning around underperforming restaurants and guiding leadership teams today, Ken’s through‑line is simple: tell the truth, deliver it with love, and never lose who you are.
A 17‑Year‑Old Manager—And An Early Masterclass In Humility
Ken’s first "gig" that stuck came early. At just 17, he was managing a busy Pizza Hut—schedules, cooks, servers, the Friday‑night rush and all. He admits he was a “know‑it‑all,” quick to be brutally honest and slow to listen. The turning point was a moment with his general manager, Chris, who pulled him aside after a tense shift and offered a line he still carries:
“You may be right a lot—but you don’t always have to be right in the room.”
That reframed everything. Leadership isn’t about proving you’re right; it’s about creating the conditions where people want to work hard with you. Relating to people, not running over them, is what drives performance—especially when you’re leading folks older and more experienced than you.
Brutal Honesty vs. Honest and Loving
Ken distinguishes between “brutal honesty” and the kind of candor that actually lands. Honesty, he says, should be paired with openness and empathy so the other person can receive it. The goal isn’t to swing a sword of truth; it’s to build connection while confronting reality.
“Go ahead and be 100% honest—but please also be 100% loving.”
That tension is a high bar—and it’s the point. When feedback is delivered with curiosity and care, people can hear it. When it’s delivered as a takedown, even the truth becomes noise.
Turnarounds: Two “Magic Bullets” That Change Cultures Fast
In later roles, Ken became the person companies called when performance dragged and morale dipped. His approach centered on two deceptively simple moves:
1) Start with the management team. Name the behaviors you won’t tolerate and the standards you will. When accountability is fuzzy at the top, everything below it blurs. Expect some pushback—Ken once left a shift to find his tires slashed—but clarity beats quiet complacency.
2) Measure what matters—and make it visible. Post the results where everyone can see them. Ken ranked servers by key experience metrics so success had a scoreboard. Top performers got recognition and opportunity. Those at the bottom got coaching and a plan. The message wasn’t humiliation; it was momentum: we’re moving, and everyone can see how.
Transparency creates gravity. When the standards are public, effort organizes around them.
Trends, Temptations, and Staying True to Your Core
Ken has coached dozens of companies and hundreds of leaders over the past decade. The pandemic era, he notes, forced organizations to rethink talent and flexibility, but some overcorrected—chasing every trend in pursuit of retention and, in the process, diluting who they were.
The clients who weathered it best were the ones who knew their core values and refused to abandon them. One manufacturer with “work ethic with grit” at its center kept that standard, even when the market pushed for policies that would have undermined it on the factory floor. The result? They emerged stronger and more competitive when the dust settled.
The takeaway isn’t “don’t change.” It’s “evaluate trends through the lens of identity.” Adaptation that amplifies your core is progress. Adaptation that erases it is a drift—and people can feel the difference.
Customer Service When You Have… Nothing to Give
Not all lessons are back‑of‑house. Ken tells a brutal customer‑facing story from his rental‑car days: Christmas morning, 43 reservations—and zero cars on the lot. There’s no script for that. He and a colleague took turns meeting each arriving traveler with the same mix of candor and care: say exactly what’s true, don’t string people along, and then own the problem by finding alternatives—even if that meant writing checks to competitors.
When the shelves are empty, honesty isn’t optional—it’s the only service you have left.
Five Takeaways Leaders Can Use Today
Trade being right for being effective. You can win the point and still lose the room.
Make honesty land. Pair truth with curiosity and love so people can hear it—and act.
Fix the top first. Culture change starts with management clarity and accountability.
Put the score on the wall. Visible metrics create shared focus and faster growth.
Adapt without amnesia. Let trends inform you—not define you. Guard your core.
Why it Matters
At Truscott Rossman, we help organizations communicate clearly, build trust, and move people to action. Ken’s playbook mirrors what we see with clients every day: transparency accelerates execution, and culture follows leaders who tell the truth with care. That mix—candor plus empathy—is how teams grow through hard moments rather than around them.
Listen to the Episode
Hear the full conversation with Ken Bogard on My 1st Gig—including the story behind that Pizza Hut lesson, the metrics that supercharged his turnarounds, and the Christmas‑day customer service crisis.
Subscribe to My 1st Gig wherever you get your podcasts, and follow along for more conversations at the intersection of leadership, communication, and career beginnings.