Burger King is an enterprise that, early-on in its history, benefited from a founder’s anger. The fast-food chain now has 16,767 stores world-wide; in the mid-1950s there were a few struggling stores in Florida.
Dave Edgerton became angry with yet another machine failure — he pulled a hatchet from his tool box and smashed one of the mal-functioning stainless steel cookers, then bellowed: I can build a better machine than this pile of junk! And, indeed, he did – he found a mechanic to design and build a more reliable broiler. And, at the same time, the partners were motivated to come up with a bigger, sloppier sandwich – the Whopper. And . . . the rest is history. Never discount the role that a little well-placed anger can play in the role of a company, if directed appropriately – at “mal-functioning broilers.”