Two Burgers, Two CEOs, One Leadership Lesson
By John Millen
As a communication coach for CEOs and other senior leaders, I read widely and look for stories that connect the noise of the moment to the essential principles of leadership communication.
With this in mind, last week I watched videos of two CEOs eating a burger—and the difference in their bites revealed everything about leadership communication.
A Real-Time Leadership A/B Test
The first clip featured Chris Kempczinski, the CEO of McDonald's. He was introducing a new burger called the Big Arch. The setting was a brightly lit corporate test kitchen.
In the video, Kempczinski repeatedly called the sandwich “the product.”
The CEO acts as though it’s the first time he’s ever seen this burger—even though “the product” had been tested around the world. He acts like he’s surprised to see “crispy onions!”
Then came the first bite. He took a small, tentative nibble. The moment felt contrived, constructed more boardroom than backyard grill. You can watch the video here.
A few days later came the second clip. This one featured Tom Curtis from Burger King. Curtis, wearing an apron, picked up a Whopper, leaned forward and took an enormous bite. Sauce landed on his cheek.
He pulled the burger away, looked at someone off camera, and said: “The only thing missing: a napkin.”
Thirteen seconds. That was it. The internet understood.
But the reaction wasn’t really about burgers. It was about credibility. You can watch the video here.
Body Language Is Too Loud to Fake
One looked like a product demonstration. The other looked like lunch.
In leadership communication, people believe what they see long before they believe what they hear.
In my work with leaders, moments like this are a powerful reminder: authenticity can’t be faked.
More than ever, audiences—employees, customers, investors—have a finely tuned radar for corporate language and staged enthusiasm. They sniff it out instantly.
Here are three tips to help you avoid such awkward leadership moments:
1. Eliminate the Corporate Speak
Use simple language. Never use three words when one will do—and never call food “the product.”
I call this Jargon Awareness. We get so used to internal shorthand that we don’t even hear it. To us, it sounds like strategy.
To everyone else, it sounds like noise. If it’s a burger, call it a burger.
2. Read the Room—and the Platform
Context matters. A tone that works in a quarterly board presentation will fall flat on Instagram. Social platforms reward humanity more than polish.
That doesn’t mean abandoning professionalism. But it does mean letting natural energy show through.
LinkedIn calls for calm assertiveness; TikTok rewards playfulness and vulnerability.
Match the platform, not the script.
3. Take the Big Bite
Trust grows when people see who you are. Before people follow a leader, they need a sense of the human being behind the title.
One of the simplest ways to show that humanity is enthusiasm. Let people see what you care about.
If you’re excited about an initiative, let it show. If you’re asking others to take a risk, be willing to take one first—even if it’s a little messy.
People aren’t looking for a perfectly polished corporate “product.” They’re looking for a person.
So try something this week. Drop the script.
Say it in your own words.
And when the moment comes—take the big bite.
John