Insights from My Journey to Leading a Retail Store: Lessons Learned and Leadership Growth

Transitioning from performing staff duties to embracing full leadership responsibilities can be challenging for new managers, often leading to critical missteps.

By Victor Unanyan

I became a store director at just 25 years old.

While studying global economics at university, I wasn’t employed. After graduation, I started working as a manager at a consulting firm. After two years, I realized the role offered limited opportunities for professional growth and career advancement, prompting me to resign.

At that time, my father was the CEO of a wholesale trading company planning to launch a retail grocery chain to expand distribution channels. The core team was formed, and they were searching for store directors.

I decided to apply for the director position for a new store opening in the heart of Yekaterinburg—300 square meters with a team of eight employees. The hiring was overseen by the executive director. I approached him, expressed my commitment, and readiness to invest all necessary effort. He emphasized that this role was critical and that if I didn’t perform well, I would be replaced. I accepted the challenge. Following that, my father and I discussed my responsibilities and terms of employment in detail.

With only theoretical knowledge of managing a retail grocery store, I stepped into the director role at 25.

Throughout this experience, I gained invaluable insights and made numerous mistakes. Here are the main lessons and challenges I encountered while developing leadership skills—insights that may benefit those starting their own leadership journey.

1. Taking on Employees’ Tasks Instead of Leading

My priority was to understand all store operations. I began by learning a key position—the cashier. While searching for a second cashier, I personally managed the register. This also helped me engage with customers and learn their preferences.

This approach worked well. I became confident handling the register, processing sales, and communicating with regular customers. I identified popular products and potential demand for new items. I even rearranged surveillance cameras to better monitor cash transactions after discovering an incident where a customer accidentally paid with a lower-denomination bill.

I also temporarily filled in as a merchandiser, learning how to place orders and manage inventory platforms.

After six months, the team was fully staffed, which should have freed me to focus on strategic tasks like analytics.

However, I found myself exhausted and unable to focus on key performance indicators because I continued doing employees’ tasks—working the register, restocking shelves, and handling orders.

While extra hands are valuable in a grocery store and processes can always improve, I realized I was doing these tasks because I believed, “No one can do it better than me.” This was a mistake. When I stopped taking on subordinate duties, operations didn’t suffer; instead, efficiency improved as everyone focused on their roles.

A leader’s role is to organize and delegate work, not perform it personally. It’s acceptable to engage deeply in all tasks initially to understand operations fully, but this must be temporary to avoid burnout.

Once I recognized this, I began assigning tasks appropriately and monitoring outcomes as a true leader should.

2. Lacking Clear Hiring Criteria

Initially, I was overconfident and relied on intuition during interviews, assuming I could accurately judge candidates’ suitability. This proved to be a mistake.

For example, a cashier candidate with extensive experience and strong communication skills mentioned she left her previous job due to her employer’s negative reaction to her illness. I sympathized and hired her. Unfortunately, she only worked six months, frequently missing shifts citing health issues—a serious problem for a cashier role requiring reliability.

At first, I emphasized prior food retail experience when hiring. Over time, I relaxed this criterion. We even hired someone with no retail background who showed genuine interest and asked detailed questions during the store tour. This choice turned out excellent; she advanced to a key decision-making role alongside me.

From experience, I developed specific candidate evaluation criteria—varying by role but generally including:

• Punctuality (arrival time for interviews);
• Appearance (important as all staff interact with customers, affecting store reputation);
• Motivation (e.g., cashiers enjoy customer interaction, administrators prefer organizing workflows);
• Personal qualities (communication skills and clarity of expression);
• Reasons for leaving previous jobs (peaceful partings versus conflicts);
• Relevant experience or willingness to learn (candidates showing eagerness received opportunities);
• Security clearance compliance (verified post-interview).

Implementing these criteria improved hiring quality and drastically reduced turnover. Over the past three years, only one administrator left for maternity leave.

3. Hesitating to Take Full Responsibility

Initially, we employed a cleaner who came twice daily for an hour, as constant presence wasn’t needed. However, tasks like cleaning spilled milk or broken jars fell to cashiers, even though not part of their official duties, since they maintained the sales floor. During autumn and winter, cleaning demands increased.

I saw that cleaning should be officially assigned to cashiers, whose schedules could accommodate this. Yet, I hesitated, fearing disruption and reduced store efficiency.

Consulting staff on this was a mistake.

The team preferred keeping a dedicated cleaner. Administrators pointed out that cleaning wasn’t part of the cashier job description, risking losing valuable employees. Cashiers were reluctant to take on extra duties.

I believed these changes were necessary and was frustrated they didn’t see it. The simple truth: this was my responsibility to decide, not a team consensus to seek. Attempting to share accountability with employees was misguided.

Ultimately, I held a meeting to communicate that the decision was final. We let the cleaner go. Though initially resistant, cashiers accepted the added cleaning tasks with increased pay, and within weeks, they acknowledged this arrangement made more sense. They became more willing to clean spills since it was now part of their compensated duties.

4. Overlooking Subordinates’ Suggestions

Three years in, the merchandiser and administrator proposed converting part of the storage room into a healthy food section. Though feasible, I dismissed it, feeling the store was performing well and such changes were unnecessary and costly.

A year later, during a store renovation with a design firm, expanding the sales area into storage was among the first suggestions.

Post-renovation, the new “Healthy Products” section attracted new customers and increased loyalty among existing ones. Revenue exceeded targets by 25% in the first month. I realized delaying this change was a mistake—listening to staff earlier would have accelerated growth.

I wrongly assumed major initiatives should originate from leadership, but valuable ideas can come from any team member.

Every improvement idea should be carefully evaluated.

Of course, blindly following all suggestions is also unwise. For example, cashiers once suggested opening the store an hour later due to low morning traffic. While it might have benefited staff, it would have lost early customers who appreciate quick service before work, potentially reducing overall loyalty and sales.

There’s no universal formula to distinguish good advice from bad. The key is to consider how each idea aligns with business goals and implement only those that foster growth.

I served as store director for six years. Six months ago, I realized I had contributed all I could and felt ready to explore new fields. The store continues operating with a loyal team and a devoted customer base we built over the years.

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