Domino is a small, flat block used for gaming. Also known as bones, cards, men, or pieces, dominoes usually feature a line down the center that divides them visually into two square-shaped sides, each marked with an arrangement of spots, or pips. Some of the pips are marked with numbers, while others are blank. The number of pips on a particular side is called its value. When a player is unable to lay a domino of the appropriate value, he or she “knocks” or raps the table and play passes to his or her opponent.
Hevesh spends a lot of time testing each of the pieces she creates. She often lays them out on the floor and moves them around to see what works and what doesn’t. Once she has all the individual components in place, she begins to assemble them. She builds the bigger 3-D sections first, then connects them with lines of dominoes.
After all the hard work is done, Hevesh stands her creations upright. She shows off her work to an audience of fans, and the spectators are awed by the beauty and precision of each domino effect or reaction. But it isn’t until a tiny nudge causes one of the dominoes to fall that all the potential energy of the whole cascade is released.
This same principle can be applied to the business of creating and managing a successful company. Whether a company is a pizza chain or an engineering firm, the same rules of domino apply to its success. The key is to create a culture of accountability, respect and trust. This will allow employees to feel comfortable taking risks and experimenting with new ideas.
If a company has the right structure in place, the leaders will be able to make decisions that will help them succeed. This includes embracing a leadership style that is less bureaucratic and more collaborative. Dominos has chosen to follow this model and is committed to developing its leaders through the company’s training programs.
Domino’s is an excellent example of how a business can successfully change and grow by taking a different approach to leadership and management. By focusing on making the best leaders possible and using their unique talents to the fullest, Domino’s has grown from one franchise store in Ohio to a worldwide chain of more than 15,000 stores. Its leadership team understands that to have the biggest impact, they must think differently. This is why they have embraced the principle of think global, act local.