For the past year, I’ve been writing The Coaching Connection column for FSR with one goal: to show that leadership in restaurants isn’t about managing tasks or enforcing compliance. It’s about coaching people.

That column, and the conversations it’s sparked, directly inspired my new book, Every Team Needs Coaching, which officially launches September 2. The book is not just a collection of my own ideas. It’s a playbook that captures the voices of more than 40 practitioners, operators, coaches, and leaders from across the hospitality industry and beyond.

From Column to Book

When I started The Coaching Connection, I knew the restaurant industry needed more than checklists and policies. It needed a mindset shift. Leaders everywhere were asking the same questions:

  • How do I motivate a team that’s burned out?
  • How do I give feedback that inspires growth instead of resistance?
  • How do I prepare the next generation of leaders?

Those questions became the backbone of this column—and then became the backbone of the book.

Every Team Needs Coaching is organized around the three roles every leader must master:

  1. Think Like a Coach — asking better questions, seeing potential, and shifting focus from compliance to growth.
  2. Lead Like a Coach — creating a culture of trust, feedback, and accountability.
  3. Grow Like a Coach — developing talent, measuring success, and leaving a legacy of leadership.

The book doesn’t stop at philosophy. It introduces practical frameworks like Radical Candor, the SBI model, and my own AIR approach, along with tools and prompts that leaders can apply in the middle of a busy shift or in a high-stakes meeting.

Wisdom from the Field

What makes this book different is the community of voices inside it. I didn’t just want endorsements. I wanted insights.

  • Simon Zatyrka, a chef and leadership coach, reminds us that the best mentors don’t tell—they ask questions that shift how we see ourselves.
  • Lauren Fernandez, CEO of Full Course, challenges leaders to create space where people can show up authentically and do their best work.
  • Josh Zolin, CEO of Windy City Equipment, emphasizes that accountability defines culture: “You get what you tolerate”.
  • Susan Barry of Hive Marketing puts it simply: “A leader’s job isn’t to keep people—it’s to grow them”.
  • Kenneth Scharlatt of Savage Orchid Hospitality ties it back to hospitality’s heart: coaching is about giving people confidence to create unforgettable guest experiences.

These are just a few of the contributors who added their angle on what coaching looks like in practice. Together, their voices show that coaching is not a theory, it’s a lived skill.

Why It Matters Beyond Restaurants

Yes, this book is written with hospitality in mind. But the truth is, coaching applies everywhere. Whether you’re leading a classroom, a retail team, or a nonprofit, the same truths hold:

  • People don’t thrive on commands. They thrive on clarity and connection.
  • Compliance may get short-term results, but coaching builds long-term growth.
  • Leaders scale impact not by being the smartest in the room, but by helping others do their best work.

This is especially urgent today. Generational turnover, “quiet quitting,” and record levels of employee disengagement aren’t just restaurant problems. They’re workplace problems. Coaching offers a path forward for any leader who wants to retain talent, build confidence, and unlock potential in their people.

Tools You Can Use Right Away

One of the most common questions I hear from readers of this column is, “How do I actually apply this tomorrow on my shift?” That’s why Every Team Needs Coaching doesn’t just explain the principles, it gives you tools to put them into action.

Throughout the book, readers will find 10 downloadable coaching tools accessible by QR code. These include the Three Hats Leadership Balance Tool, Coaching Conversation Guide, Feedback Model Visual Guide, and the Coaching Impact Scorecard—all designed to help leaders move from ideas to execution.

These aren’t abstract theories. They’re worksheets, scorecards, and guides you can print, share, and use to coach your people in the moment. The book is written to be both a guide you read and a toolkit you use.

The Next Chapter

This column is called The Coaching Connection because that’s what coaching really is—a connection. Between leader and team member. Between today’s expectations and tomorrow’s potential. Between the lessons we’ve learned in restaurants and the leadership challenges showing up everywhere else.

My hope is that this book gives leaders the same thing this column has always aimed to provide: practical, real-world ways to coach, inspire, and succeed.

Because if there’s one truth that came through every page of writing, and every voice who contributed, it’s this: Every team needs coaching. And every leader can learn how to deliver it.

Every Team Needs Coaching launches September 2 in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

Editor’s note: This article is part of The Coaching Connection, a biweekly column series from restaurant expert Jason E. Brooks. Check out the others below:

Jason E. Brooks is a hospitality coach, author, and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He has worked with six of the top 100 restaurant brands in the U.S., helping leaders and operators set, track, and achieve their goals through actionable systems. Jason specializes in transforming restaurant operations to boost profitability and develop high-performing teams. For more insights, visit www.jasonebrooks.com, or connect with Jason on LinkedIn to start the conversation about taking your restaurant to the next level.

Expert Takes, Feature, Labor & Employees, Leader Insights, Operations