The 5 Elements of Becoming a Better Leader
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Hello Caffeinated Humans!
My name is Irvin Chavira, and I'm the Regional Leader for 787 Coffee here in Texas. If you told me three years ago that I would be running a major region for a growing farm-to-cup brand, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Like many of you reading this, my path wasn't linear. I spent years building things in the construction industry before I joined 787 Coffee just a short time ago.
My journey here has been a rapid ascent, moving from Barista to Store Leader, then District Leader, and finally into the Regional role, all within 3 years. This kind of growth—both personal and regional—doesn't happen by accident. It requires a repeatable, adaptable framework.
This blog is designed to be a learning tool for every business owner and entrepreneur looking to elevate their game. Whether you are leading a startup, a small business, or managing a growing team like mine here in Texas, you need a compass.
I want to share the 5 core elements that I relied on to navigate my transition and build high-performing teams. These are not just concepts; they are principles I apply daily, grounded in real data, experience, and situations from the coffee shop floor right up to the regional strategy table.
Let's do this!
The 5 Elements of Becoming a Better Leader:
Foundation
Real and Genuine
Analytical and Objective
Who/What/Why and How
Self Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
Let's dive into the core of what truly makes a great leader.
1. Foundation: Knowing Your Compass
Leadership isn't a job title; it's a reflection of who you are. Before you can lead others, you must establish a bedrock of self-knowledge. This is your personal Foundation—the non-negotiable compass that guides every strategic and interpersonal decision.
For me, that identity is built on being caring, humble, a student, competitive, adventurous, loyal, intentional, grateful, and a growth seeker.
My quick rise at 787 Coffee wouldn't have been possible without this core. Specifically, the principles of staying humble and maintaining a growth mindsetare fundamental. These traits allow me to remain a student of life, business, and people. This readiness to learn and be adventurous is why I was able to successfully help open and train teams not just in El Paso, from the first shop on Alameda (June 23, 2023) to our 6th location at Grand Canyons at Cimarron, but also in Westfield, New Jersey, and even Puerto Rico.
The Actionable Principle: Define your core identity today. Use it as the lens through which you filter all opportunities and challenges. If a decision requires you to sacrifice a core value, it's not the right decision for your growth, or the growth of your company.
2. Real and Genuine: Authenticity Over Popularity
As a leader, you meet countless people, and you simply cannot change who you are to be liked by every single one. My mission here is clear: growth, impact, and self-improvement for my team and the region. And because I care about my job and the people around me, I will be the leader who gives you honesty and transparency.
Being Real and Genuine means staying true to your purpose, even when the feedback is hard to deliver or receive. In my experience, I have been called great, wonderful, and yes, sometimes "tough and mean." I know the truth is I push my team as much as I push myself—for greatness.
A recent example of this was the resignation of a store leader who felt the "high demands and pace of the role" were too much pressure. It's okay that the role wasn't for them, because I was being myself, staying true to the fundamental purpose of wanting to help build that human up to the high-performance standard needed for our rapid growth. True loyalty to the team means maintaining a standard of excellence.
The Actionable Principle: Prioritize purpose over pleasing. Lead with integrity, not popularity. If you are focused on helping someone be greater, your genuine intentwill ultimately be clear, even if the feedback stings in the short term.
3. Analytical and Objective: Leading with Data
Emotion can be a motivator, but it is a terrible driver for strategic decision-making. As leaders, it is essential to use, look at, know, understand, and interpret data. Data provides us with reality; it grounds us to the world and shows us what’s working and what’s not.
When I was in El Paso last week, I worked with Ms. Jessica, District Leader of District 1, on the Zaragoza shop make-over. That shop, where we implemented focused changes, saw impressive results:
+6% increase in Humans Serviced (Customer Volume)
+22% increase in Average Sale
+30% increase in Net Sales
Simultaneously, two other nearby shops, Alameda and Montana, saw a 9% and 6% decrease in Net Sales, respectively. The data clearly demonstrated that our targeted, specific action yielded disproportionately positive results. The decreases elsewhere show the reality of what happens when effort isn't focused.
I also met with Michael, District Leader of District 2, at a competitor's location to physically compare data points like pricing, outlook, service flow, and job performance. In Michael's new district, we saw an increase of 4% in humans serviced, 5% in net sales, and 1% in average sale. This objective comparison helps us understand the competitive landscape and identify why our positive numbers are being generated.
The Actionable Principle: Make data review a non-negotiable daily and weekly habit. Use it to separate what you feel is happening from what is actually happening, allowing you to deploy your resources with precision.
4. Who/What/Why and How: The Execution Framework
Once the data identifies an opportunity (Element 3), you need a framework for clear communication and execution. I use the Who/What/Why/How model for delegation, coaching, and accountability.
WHO: Who is the right person (your "infinity") for this task or growth opportunity?
WHAT: What specific task or skill do you want to help them master?
WHY: Why are they the one for the job, and why does this matter to the larger company mission?
HOW: How will you, as the leader, support them to be greater than they are today, and how will you measure success?
This model is also a tool for profound self-reflection. After a 1:1 meeting where a team member shows negative outcomes or lower numbers, I always reflect on the How—if they are not growing, is it because of me? Did I fail to clearly articulate the Why? Did I select the wrong Who? Leadership is an echo; we must inspect our own delivery and execution before inspecting others.
The Actionable Principle: Never delegate without purpose. When assigning a task or coaching an employee, ensure all four questions are explicitly answered. If the action fails, review the framework to diagnose which element broke down.
5. Self Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EI)
I am a leader, but I am also human. I am susceptible to emotions just like anyone else, but I recognize that leadership requires mastery over that susceptibility.
This means learning to understand how I am feeling, and more importantly, why I am feeling that way when challenges arise, circumstances change, or when things are out of my control.
This emotional discipline is most critical during high-stakes interpersonal conflicts, like ending a working relationship. On one occasion, I had to terminate a relationship with a team member who became extremely defensive and lacked accountability. The conversation became tense, and the human shifted into a power struggle, ultimately leading her to call me an insult.
In that moment, Emotional Intelligence was everything. I had to be acutely aware of how I was delivering the messageand ensure that my rising frustration did not intertwine with her emotions. I needed to remain objective (Element 3) and grounded to manage the situation to a swift and professional conclusion. Your ultimate test as a leader is managing your own emotions when faced with someone else’s worst.
The Actionable Principle: Practice Self-Regulation. Before you react to a crisis or a difficult employee, take a moment to identify the feeling and its source. Your controlled response will define the culture and professionalism of your team.
Conclusion: Leadership is a Practice
If there is one lesson my journey from the coffee bar to the Regional Leader’s desk taught me, it is this: Leadership is not a title; it is a daily practice.
The five elements we’ve explored—Foundation, Real and Genuine, Analytical and Objective, Who/What/Why/How, and Self Awareness/Emotional Intelligence—are designed to work together. Your genuine self provides the compass, data gives you the map, and your communication framework allows for clear travel. It all relies on your emotional intelligence to keep the journey smooth.
I encourage every business owner and entrepreneur to take these elements and immediately apply them to your own role:
Start with Element 1: Re-evaluate your personal Foundation. What are your non-negotiables?
Move to Element 3: Pull up your data right now. What is the one objective truth your numbers are telling you about your business that you've been ignoring?
The path to becoming a better leader is continuous, requiring humility, hard work, and relentless self-reflection. Embrace the pace, demand greatness, and remember that when you focus on these five elements, you are not just building a business—you are building better humans.
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