Key Takeaways
- McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski admits his career advice may “hurt your feelings.”
- In a new Instagram video, Kempczinski urged professionals to take full responsibility for their careers instead of waiting for someone else to give them an opportunity.
- Kempczinski’s message frames career growth as a personal responsibility, not a passive undertaking.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski recently shared a piece of “tough love” career advice that he openly admits may “hurt your feelings.”
In a recent video posted to Instagram, titled “Tough Love with the McDonald’s CEO,” Kempczinski urged professionals to stop waiting for someone else to manage their careers and instead take full ownership of their paths.
Kempczinski’s central point is blunt: “Nobody cares about your career as much as you do.” You shouldn’t believe that your boss, mentor or company is charting your next move or guaranteeing your next opportunity, even if they are supportive.
“So this idea that there’s somebody out there who’s looking out for you, who’s going to make sure that you get that opportunity, who puts you in the right thing — great if it happens — but at the end of the day, nobody cares more about your career than you do,” Kempczinski said in the video.
Related: JPMorgan Chase CEO Says ‘You’ll Have Plenty of Jobs’ If You Master These Skills
Kempczinski cautions that relying on others is risky and that viewers should take full ownership of their careers because they are the ones with the most at stake.
“You’ve got to own it,” Kempczinski stated in the video. “You’ve got to make things happen for yourself.”
He advises professionals to seek out opportunities, rather than passively waiting to be “put in the right thing.” Kempczinski’s message frames career growth as a personal responsibility, not a passive undertaking.
Related: McDonald’s Is Hiring Hundreds of Thousands of Employees. Here’s Why.
Kempczinski, who took over as McDonald’s CEO in November 2019, has over 50,000 followers on Instagram. His account most recently featured videos on topics such as tackling imposter syndrome, unconventional career moves and building a personal brand.
He joined McDonald’s in 2015 and was previously president of McDonald’s USA. According to Fox Business, he spent decades working at corporations such as PepsiCo and Kraft Foods before McDonald’s, giving him a front-row perspective into how careers progress in large organizations.
In another video posted earlier this month, Kempczinski said that the best career advice he has ever received is to stay organized. He keeps his inbox clean, his desk neat and his computer free of clutter. Staying organized is a “way to stay focused,” Kempczinski said.
Related: These Are the Top 10 Burger Franchises in 2025 — And They Can Make More Than $1 Million a Year
Kempczinski said in a separate Instagram video posted in October that he eats at McDonald’s three or four times a week, sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for lunch.
“Hey, one of the perks of the job,” he said in the video. “You get to eat at McDonald’s a lot.”
Ready to explore everything on Entrepreneur.com? December is your free pass to Entrepreneur+. Enjoy complete access, no strings attached. Claim your free month.
Key Takeaways
- McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski admits his career advice may “hurt your feelings.”
- In a new Instagram video, Kempczinski urged professionals to take full responsibility for their careers instead of waiting for someone else to give them an opportunity.
- Kempczinski’s message frames career growth as a personal responsibility, not a passive undertaking.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski recently shared a piece of “tough love” career advice that he openly admits may “hurt your feelings.”
In a recent video posted to Instagram, titled “Tough Love with the McDonald’s CEO,” Kempczinski urged professionals to stop waiting for someone else to manage their careers and instead take full ownership of their paths.
The rest of this article is locked.
Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.
