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The Founder of Panera Bread: 'I Wish I'd Fired More People'After stepping down as CEO in January, Ron Shaich looks back on what he wishes he'd done differently.

ByRon Shaich

This story appears in theMarch 2018issue of狗万官方.Subscribe »

Panera

I was theCEOof a public company for more than 26 years -- that's longer than Cal Ripken, Jr., played baseball. And I wasn't the only one who stuck aroundPanerafor a long time. Many of my colleagues did, too. In one case, a senior executive grew up with me there for more than 20 years. His job eventually outgrew him, and he totally checked out. He knew it, too, but he couldn't bring himself to tell me. He just kept showing up to work. I pushed him and waited for him to step up. Foryears. But I didn'tfirehim.

Related:4 Things Every CEO Needs to Focus on Daily

Looking back, I understand why: I was too obsessed with being a caringleader. What I should have done was let him go sooner, and many others like him.

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