We recently were on a graduation celebration trip with our oldest grandson; Dax Graham Black where we toured the Mesa Verde National Park. We had two different guides take us through a couple of the main attractions there: The Cliff House and The Balcony House.

I had this thought as they inspired and educated us on how the cliff dwellings were created and why they were deserted after hundreds of years. Very specific details that had us hanging on every word:

“That’s how we all should be as managers, directors and leadership in our grocery companies. Imagine your team standing around you in a bit of a huddle, and you’re just teaching them from your many years of experience and knowledge on how to be successful in the grocery business and answering any questions they have.”

The guides were masters at answering any questions anyone in the group had, first by saying when they opened it up for questions, “That’s a great question”, then they’d share the specifics of the question and I again, wondered how much better our teams would be if we’d just ask them if they had any questions and then answer them in very specific details. Many of the questions people asked on the tour were obvious to me what the answer was. But it was a great reminder that we should never assume our teams know the things we know after being in the business for 20-30-40 plus years.

A national park tour guide is a fantastic example of leadership in action—it’s not just about showing people around, but about inspiring, educating, and ensuring a memorable experience. Here’s how leadership qualities come into play:

1. Charisma & Presence

• A great guide captivates their audience, making information engaging and bringing the environment to life.
• They set the tone of the tour, using storytelling and humor to create connection and curiosity.

2. Empathy & Emotional Intelligence

• They read the group’s energy—adjusting the pace, checking in on guests, and making everyone feel included.
• They understand different personalities, ensuring both the solo traveler and the enthusiastic family have a rewarding experience.

3. Resilience & Adaptability

• Nature is unpredictable, and a guide must stay calm in unforeseen circumstances—weather shifts, lost hikers, or unexpected wildlife encounters.
• They adjust plans on the fly, knowing when to pivot and when to reassure.

4. Integrity & Responsibility

• They prioritize safety, ensuring that visitors respect park rules, wildlife, and conservation efforts.
• Their knowledge must be accurate, and they lead with honesty—admitting when they don’t have an answer rather than making one up.

5. Customer-Centric Thinking

• A guide is also a caretaker of the experience, ensuring visitors feel valued.
• They personalize interactions, remembering names, noting interests, and making each tour feel special.

6. Strategic Communication & Planning

• They structure the tour beginning with an engaging intro, pacing the journey well, and leaving guests with a lasting impression.
• They anticipate common questions and prepare compelling responses.

This kind of leadership doesn’t just apply to park guides—it’s essential in any role that involves guiding others, fostering engagement, and balancing structure with adaptability.

One of my favorite all-time John Maxwell books is, “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect”. In this book, John shares his experience with a good tour guide and a bad one. Think about the tours you’ve been on, which ones do you remember? Which ones were disappointing? And what was the biggest difference?

This lesson goes hand in hand with the June Leadership article on Please, Please Don’t Ignore me. It’s what I call customer-centric engagement, or in this month’s vein, Lead like a National Parks Guide using these steps, it will build trust and loyalty with our customers:

1. Find Common Ground – Personalization & Empathy

• Develop a deep understanding of your customers—what they value, what they need, and how they prefer to engage.
• Use personalized messaging in marketing and customer service. Address customers by name, reference past interactions, and offer tailored solutions.
• Train your team to listen actively and empathize, ensuring each customer feels heard and understood.

2. Keep It Interesting – Storytelling & Engagement

• Craft compelling brand stories that resonate with your customers’ values and aspirations. (This is a great way to share the specific details of the fresh products we sell and the story behind the local items we sell)
• Use engaging content across digital platforms—blog posts, social media, and video content—to make interactions memorable.
• Introduce interactive experiences like customer feedback campaigns, Q&A sessions, or community-driven content. (This is great if you have a space to gather customers up for a cooking demo or just new item launches)

3. Inspire with Passion – Authenticity & Energy

• Ensure your team embodies enthusiasm and passion for the company’s mission—customers can sense authenticity and as I always say, you can “feel it” when you walk in the door!
• Communicate with excitement and confidence in marketing, sales, and customer interactions.
• Highlight customer success stories with your team to reinforce how your product or service makes a meaningful impact.

4. Live Your Message – Integrity & Consistency

• Stay true to your brand’s promises—transparency and reliability are crucial in building customer trust.
• Implement ethical business practices and demonstrate integrity in every transaction.
• Encourage team members to represent company values in their interactions with customers.

5. Connect Across Different Settings – Adaptability & Reach

• Optimize communication for one-on-one interactions (personalized emails, live chat), group engagement (forums, webinars), and broader outreach (ads, newsletters).
• Ensure customer service is accessible across multiple channels—phone, chat, email, and social media.
• Create opportunities for direct customer involvement, such as loyalty programs, ambassador initiatives, or networking events.

I believe that a consistent experience is the key to long-term success. When our teams keep our customers’ needs in mind, and everyone truly understands the role they need to play in connecting instead of just communicating, we’ll see success we never imagined!

As we all know, the weekly task of buying groceries is one that a lot of people dread. We can make their dreaded shopping experience fun if we’ll embody the qualities of a tour guide and as you know, this same mindset works with our teams.

I’ve always loved having morning team huddles out on the sales floor. We’d review the previous days sales together and get feedback from each department manager on any issues they were having. This is also great for celebrating wins in each department together. Remember, what we focus on gets better – so let’s focus on the wins!

One of my chapters in the book, The 5 Rules is a titled; “Walk Slowly Through the Crowds”. This story is about walking slowly through your store, stopping to engage with customers, checking in with team members and collaborating with your vendor partners. You can do this in an amazing way by slowing down and using this method mixed with the qualities of the tour guide listed above.

This month’s challenge: be inspiring, educating, and ensuring a memorable experience to everyone that comes through our doors, and we’ll be miles ahead of the competition.

Let’s win this next decade in the grocery business by doing these things every day, in every store, in every department by truly connecting – not just communicating!