Most early-career professionals worry about mastering the right skills or perfecting their résumés. Shannon Hennessy thinks they’re missing the real recipe for success.
As CEO of Habit Burger & Grill, a rapidly expanding chain under the Yum! Brands umbrella, Hennessy has cooked up plenty of wins — from a new partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers to spearheading a swath of ambitious remodels. But it wasn’t until she got out of her own way that she says she flourished professionally.
“I felt like, early on in my career, I held myself back more than anybody else,” Hennessy told Business Insider.
She consistently second-guessed herself, worrying about how she was perceived in meetings during her early years as a McKinsey consultant, or being overly concerned about the potential risks or downsides that came with big financial deals.
“I had a great early mentor who said to me, ‘Your confidence lags your competence,’ and that was like a light bulb moment for me, like, ‘God, I’m not going to be the one to hold myself back.’”
Feeling confident in her work was a hard-won battle for Hennessy, but the 47-year-old mother of two said a combination of confidence and self-belief shaped her leadership journey more than any other skills she learned from the Wharton School of Business or during her MBA at Northwestern University.
“I find people tend to think about, like, ‘What are the classes I should take to get the career I want? What’s the job I should get as the first rung on the ladder, and how do I prep for the interview?’ I actually feel like the thing that makes the biggest difference is whether you feel good in that moment and you’re being your best self.”
Hennessy now focuses on having a predictable daily routine — she wakes up early, exercises six days a week, and refuses to work on weekends, which she saves for family time. This allows her to protect her energy and feel her best, enabling her to show up as her best self at work.
“One of my classic pieces of advice is to invest in your own confidence and what it takes to feel at your best, because the rest will follow,” Hennessy said.