November 1st, 2026 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)
Turn harsh criticism into an opportunity to rebuild trust.
In 2009, Domino’s Pizza had a problem that no amount of clever advertising could fix. Customers didn’t like its pizza.
Some complained that the crust tasted like cardboard. Others compared the sauce to ketchup. Those are painful words for a company whose entire business depends on selling pizza. And Domino’s decided to put those complaints on television.
Patrick Doyle, then the company’s president, and Russell Weiner, its chief marketing officer, helped lead a remarkable turnaround. Domino’s showed actual customer criticism in its “Pizza Turnaround” campaign. Viewers watched employees hear the complaints and saw the company explain what it was doing to improve its product.
Imagine approving that message. You spend years building a national brand, then tell the entire country that some of your customers think your product is terrible.
But Domino’s had been listening. Its team had worked on a new recipe, improving the crust, sauce, and cheese. The company introduced the reformulated pizza nationwide in December 2009 and asked customers to give it another chance.
Customers responded. Domino’s reported that U.S. same-store sales grew 9.9 percent in 2010, reflecting both its improved product and the effectiveness of its advertising.
There is a leadership lesson here that goes well beyond pizza.
During my years in the Navy and business, I’ve learned that people pay close attention to whether a leader’s words match what actually happens. You can explain your intentions with great care. But if the experience tells a different story, people will trust what they experience, not what they hear you say.
Customers, suppliers, partners, investors, and the communities you serve are forming opinions about you every day. Often, those opinions are shaped by employees they meet, calls that go unanswered, problems that go unresolved, and promises that are either kept or broken.
A good communications team can help you reach those people. But, a good communications team equipped with a good communications plan cannot earn trust for you.
That is the leader’s responsibility.
I believe there are three things every leader should do.
First, listen to the people who are disappointed. Don’t rely entirely on reports that make their way up the chain. Pick up the phone. Ask a customer why they stopped buying from you. Ask a supplier where your organization makes them work harder. Listen long enough to understand the answer. And resist the urge to explain why they’re wrong.
Second, communicate clearly when something goes wrong. People can handle difficult news. What damages a relationship is when they discover that you knew about a problem and didn’t tell them. Explain what you know, what you don’t know, and when they can expect to hear from you again. Then follow through.
Third, give people evidence that you’ve heard them. Fix the problem. Change the process. Call back and ask whether the solution worked. When you tell someone you’ll do something, make certain it gets done.
Domino’s earned another chance because the company did more than acknowledge criticism. It changed the pizza. Its communication worked because customers could judge the difference for themselves.
Your organization’s reputation is being built that same way, one experience at a time.
And that brings us to a question: Are you hearing the truth about how people outside your organization experience doing business with you? Or are you hearing only what your team thinks you want to hear?
Lead to Win Principle
Listen carefully. Tell the truth. Deliver on your promises. Trust will follow.
The Question
When was the last time you personally asked an unhappy customer what your organization could do better—and acted on the answer?
Want more powerful leadership lessons from Mike?
- Begin leading from the heart: Order Learn How to Lead to Win | The Manazir Maxims | Leadership Study Guide for Manazir Maxims
- Book Mike to Speak or for 1:1 Executive Coaching
P.S. Know someone trying to build up their people and lead with heart? Forward this to them. It might be the encouragement they need to keep going.
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Let’s lead to win together,
Mike Manazir
Retired Navy Rear Admiral | Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Executive Coach