Tony Libardi leads Marco’s Pizza franchise through pandemic economy with increased sales, close-knit team
Marco‘s Pizza President & COO Tony Libardi
Forbes magazine senior contributor George Bradt writes about Marco’s President and COO Tony Libardi’s leadership example in a recent issue, drawing parallels between Libardi and 7-year Vietnam War POW James Stockdale.
“The Stockdale Paradox,” Bradt writes, “provides a powerful framework for leading through an extended pandemic born out of Stockdale’s multi-year prisoner of war experience. The heart of it is ‘Unwavering faith that you can and will prevail with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of the current reality.'”
Bradt goes on to note that under Libardi’s leadership during the pandemic, Marco’s Pizza franchises have been “achieving historic record-breaking sales, piloting new innovations, signing 89 new store commitments, and opening their 1,000th store through the heart of the pandemic. Their recipe for success includes empathy, values, celebrating wins, inspiration and future focus.”
Libardi lives the ‘people-first’ credo
“Leaders who empathize with their people and put their team first are the ones who succeed,” Libardi told Bradt.
“Marco’s has stepped-up communications with franchisees and field leaders and conducted Townhall sessions to better understand and address the needs of all stores and their employees,” Bradt writes. “By prioritizing empathy and gaining perspective, Marco’s leaders are now able to make better decisions more quickly than ever before.”
You can read the rest of the inspiring Forbes article here, but it goes on to note that realism + optimism + really listening to and caring about your team helps build resilience across the company. Our franchisees are chosen, in part, to be franchisees because they themselves are leaders. It’s imperative that the top executive of the company lead by example.
“Inspiration unleashes motivation,” Bradt writes. “A pragmatically optimistic mindset is what team members need from their leaders – especially in the face of uncertainty. Give people something to look forward to and help them understand how the work they do each day makes a difference.”
Learn more about the opportunity
Marco’s Pizza is seeking more franchise buyers who exemplify the kinds of leadership qualities you’ll find in our top executive. If you’d like to learn more, please fill out the form below to download our free Franchise Information Report.
