#269: Damola Adamolekun, CEO, Red Lobster – Show the path to success

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak Leadership

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management

4.8 • 596 Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Can Red Lobster pull off the greatest comeback in restaurant history? After filing for bankruptcy, shedding value, and losing relevance, it won’t be easy. But it’s the kind of challenge that Damola Adamolekun thrives in. After returning P.F. Chang’s to profitability, he is now making waves as Red Lobster’s youngest-ever CEO. In this episode, he shares what it’s like to lead at a young age, the strategies that work in a turnaround, and how to show your team a clear path to success without sugarcoating the truth. You’ll also learn: The #1 reason companies falter after longstanding success Practical tips for anyone leading in a struggling business A mindset shift to help you better at accepting criticism Why your energy around the office matters more than you think Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of How Leaders Lead.
0:04.3	Today, David sits down with Demola Adama Lakin, who is the CEO of Red Lobster.
0:09.7	At just 30 years old, he took over a CEO of P.F. Chang's during COVID.
0:13.9	And at 36 years old, he's taken on one of the most challenging turnaround situations
0:19.0	in restaurant industry history as he seeks to be
0:22.2	the guy who returns Red Lobster to all of its glory. And if he is successful, he believes
0:28.2	it'll be the greatest turnaround in the history of the restaurant industry. So enjoy this
0:33.4	conversation between David and Demola, and I'll see you at the debrief.
0:41.9	With pressure in general, if you're too worried about the pressure, it takes away clear thinking.
0:46.7	You can recognize pressure and not let it affect your day-to-day or your mentality.
0:51.7	You don't want pressure to force you into a mental corner where you're making bad decisions.
0:54.3	You need to make decisions calmly regardless of the stakes.
1:03.1	I'm going to get into Red Lepster, but right off the bat, I got to ask you, do you still have those cheddar bay biscuits?
1:05.9	We have them today and we'll have them forever, my friend.
1:08.2	Yes, we do.
1:09.2	Signature item.
1:10.5	You're 100% right. That's a,
1:12.0	that's a classic and it's a fan favorite, so those aren't going anywhere. That's good to know.
1:17.2	I'm glad you've got good judgment, you know. As I understand it, you played football at Brown,
1:23.5	which is a great Ivy League school, and you were a defensive back.
1:33.2	Which NFL receiver do you think you'd have the hardest time locking down these days?
1:37.9	Either Jamar Chase or C.D. Lamb, they're both insanely quick over short distances.
	...

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