The 55-year-old became head of the over 1600-location strong diner chain in 2022 and her first order of business was asking her new workforce a series of particular questions. And they’re the exact same ones that she asked workers when she took top jobs at Red Lobster and Chili’s.
“Those same questions really get to this underpinning of what the culture’s really like. And if you ask enough times and just wait for the answers, the real stuff does come out.”
At the time of her arrival, Denny’s had a strong balance sheet, but Valade said the “hangover” of the previous lockdown-filled pandemic years emphasized an even greater need to think outside of the box and be curious—something that she’s embodied throughout her career.
“Maybe don’t color inside the lines, maybe don’t wait to be asked for something. Maybe just say, ‘I think I can help.’ What’s the worst that can happen?” she added.
Fortune reached out to Valade for comment.
“Emotional intelligence is as strong as any other intelligence, and that has served me well,” Valade said. “If people have given me feedback—and I’ve gotten a lot and I’m a work in progress—listen to that feedback. React. Be appreciative of it. And use it to your advantage and move forward.”
And while some business leaders may be dead set on a job title or salary in their career, she encouraged young people to instead find a pathway that truly sparks a passion.
“I often say you have to be true to yourself. You have to find a product that you love, or a story or dream that you can really associate with, that really hits home for you,” she said to NRN.
Denny’s may be known for its breakfast Grand Slams, but for one tech CEO, the company means a whole lot more.
“I planned my work. I was organized. I was mise en place,” Huang told students at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business last year. “I washed the living daylights out of those dishes.”
“No task is beneath me,” Huang said. “I used to be a dishwasher. I used to clean toilets. I cleaned a lot of toilets. I’ve cleaned more toilets than all of you combined. And some of them you just can’t unsee.”
