Wolfgang Puck's leadership style starts at the top: 'I lead by example'

The fine dining sector has faced increased scrutiny over the past several years with allegations of toxic work environments and low pay.

Many employees have fled the industry altogether, especially since the pandemic when restaurants shut down and workers transitioned to alternative roles such as gig economy jobs.

That's something legendary chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck wants to undo. He says he seeks to cultivate a strong team culture at his restaurants.

"The job of a leader is to lead the people," Puck said in the latest installment of Yahoo Finance's flagship series Lead This Way. He described leadership as a "trickle-down effect" that starts at the top. "For me, it's leading by example."

"If I treat the employees well, the chef, the manager, they're going to treat the employees well because it's a trickle-down effect. If I would yell at them and be abusive, they would do the same things," he said.

"We want people to come here and enjoy what they do," Puck continued. "That's really the most important thing, to be positive and give people a positive experience so when they leave work, they can say, 'Okay, I learned something today.'"

That approach can help cultivate loyalty among employees. "Everybody's been working for him for like 30, 40 years," Jean-Philippe Matheussen, executive chef at Puck's CUT restaurant, told Yahoo Finance. "To me, that means everything."

But Puck said he's had to adjust his own instincts to create the genial workplace culture he aims for today.

"When I was younger, my teaching style was more rough. I used to yell much more because that's the way I learned," he explained.

Puck fled an abusive and controlling stepfather at just 14 years old and struggled to master his craft under a grueling apprenticeship in his native country of Austria. He credits his pastry chef mother for encouraging his passion for food, despite the challenging start to his career.

After working in Austria and later in France, Puck moved to the US at the age of 24, where he eventually landed his big break as chef and part owner of Ma Maison in Los Angeles.

It was in L.A. that Puck quickly garnered the attention of Hollywood's elite. He opened his first flagship restaurant, Spago, in 1982.

Puck owns and operates 22 fine dining restaurants across the globe and has earned three coveted Michelin stars. Long considered to be the first "celebrity chef," Puck's empire extends far beyond his restaurants with published cookbooks, a thriving catering business, and several lines of cookware.

The famed chef acknowledged that striking a work-life balance remains the biggest hurdle for those in the fast-paced industry.

"I think that's the most difficult thing for all of us in the restaurant business: to find the right balance to spend time with the children but also to show the children that work is how you make your money."

Puck said his children, his son Byronin particular, will eventually take over the family business.

But not just yet.

"I hope I die, not in the middle of service, but in the kitchen," Puck quipped, noting he has no current plans to retire. "Maybe after every customer gets their meal."

Alexandra Canal is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @allie_canal, LinkedIn, and email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com.

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance