Dave Scholten

THE FRONTLINE FOUNDATION

Dave Scholten’s belief in the Great Game of Business® was forged on the front lines, beginning in the food service industry while he was still in high school. He rose through the ranks to lead independent restaurants and later held senior leadership roles at major national brands, including Outback Steakhouse and Cracker Barrel.

These early experiences taught Dave a fundamental truth: business success is about people first, not just math. At Outback, he saw how radical transparency and shared numbers built teams that were both highly profitable and deeply committed to one another.

THE CRISIS PRACTITIONER

Dave’s conviction was put to the ultimate test during the Great Recession. Tasked with leading a division of nine hotels and restaurants, he rejected the traditional practice of concealing the truth from employees. Instead, he adopted open-book planning, enabling teams to forecast honestly based on market demand.

By trusting his teams with the truth, he saw accountability shift from mere compliance to true ownership, resulting in sustained discipline and record-breaking performance during an economic downturn. This reinforced his belief that, in the absence of information, employees will always assume the worst.

THE COACH OF PARTICIPATION

As a coach, Dave doesn’t teach theory—he teaches participation. He believes engagement without active participation is merely observation. His coaching style is high-energy and visual, guided by the mantra “Think on paper. Talk on a wall.”

Dave focuses on the “unasked” questions, modeling a collaborative problem-solving approach that makes it okay to say, "I don’t know—let’s find out together." By setting clear expectations and refusing to tolerate underperformance, he helps leaders protect the group’s collective experience and build a culture of pride, competition, and genuine fun.

OFF THE CLOCK

Dave holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Michigan State University. He lives in Michigan with his wife, a schoolteacher, and their two children. An Eagle Scout and Junior Achievement volunteer, Dave lives by a simple daily creed: you either grow or die, and courage is a daily practice. For Dave, the Great Game works because it respects people by inviting them into the business's future.