Whenever I took a course in college, I always wondered how much of what I learned would matter later in life. Improbably, a philosophy course sophomore year yielded an insight that was both invaluable and practical. Taught by an eminent professor from the religion department, Religious Ethics was considered one of the most esoteric courses at Bucknell; it hardly seemed like the kind of class that might one day help you apply for a job or raise a child. And yet, it taught me about one of the most important qualities in life: leadership. Included in the course syllabus was the Tao Te Ching by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. A collection of poems both figurative and aphoristic, the Tao describes a great leader (and here I paraphrase from one poem in particular) as someone who moves above the people but they don’t feel the weight; a leader stands in front of the people but doesn’t block their view. I read this poem in 1976, and while I found it interesting at the time, it wasn’t until five years later, in New York City, that I appreciated its full significance. I was at Columbia University, and I applied to the restaurant Tavern on the Green for a job as a waiter. Tavern was located in Central Park, and its waiters made the kind of tips that could keep a struggling grad student ahead of his bills. I interviewed with the assistant manager, a young man named Drew Nieporent. He asked me a bunch of questions about fine dining; my answers were pathetic. Then he asked: if I were at a table and the diner asked what ingredients were in the Sole Almondine and I didn’t know, would I lie to avoid looking unqualified, or would I say I’d have to ask the chef? I replied “the latter,” and Drew said, “You’re hired.” When I acted surprised, he said he could teach me what’s in a béchamel sauce, but he couldn’t teach me how to be honest.

In the five years that followed, I kept my job at Tavern, even when I was teaching English on the Upper East Side. The money was great, and many of my best stories come from that era. Drew was my boss, and I loved working for him. He was smart, funny, and flexible; he always found a solution to every problem. But it was not until Tavern hosted CBS’ retirement party for renowned news anchor Walter Cronkite that I got to see and appreciate just how much Drew epitomized the leadership qualities I had read about in the Tao five years earlier. It was the biggest banquet I had ever worked. CBS had booked the entire restaurant, and at least 60 waiters worked at top speed from 4:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. I think we table served chateaubriand for at least 300 people. Anyway, with the evening finally over, we all sat around, completely exhausted. The only problem was that the entire facility had to be set up for morning brunch. But no one wanted to move. Drew was in charge and faced a thorny challenge: how to get 60-plus absolutely depleted workers to fire up for the last effort required to complete the job. He could have yelled at us, or threatened us, but that’s not what he did. Instead, he removed his tuxedo jacket, walked to the center of the Crystal Room, and began bussing a table. In light of the work we faced, it was a small gesture, but it had a huge impact. Without any further cues, all 60 of us got up and started working, clearing tables, restocking waiting stations, and removing trash. It was amazing to witness. In under 40 minutes, the entire restaurant was transformed, ready for the morning service. In all my years of employment, I have never seen anything else like it.

Since leaving Tavern in 1985, I have come a long way, including the last 35-plus years I have spent at Pingry. I have had the opportunity to see leadership exercised in countless ways, from hiring decisions to fundraising campaigns to strategic planning. And while these have taught me a great deal about effective leadership, nothing tops that crazy evening I spent at Tavern back in 1981, a night when my boss demonstrated the leadership qualities that a Chinese poet/philosopher had described over 2,500 years earlier. It is not surprising that Drew went on to become famous, opening restaurants like Le Montrachet, Tribeca Grille, and Nobu. Of course, that success happened for many reasons: Drew was (and is) a very talented guy. But he is also a great leader who, as Lao Tzu once noted, can inspire others to join together to meet any challenge—be it fighting a battle, running a company, or clearing a dining room.

 

 

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Author photo by Anthony "Truncs" Truncale '26

 

To contact the author: Mr. Keating