What is Chick-fil-A’s Primal Question?

Plus, 3 things every leader needs to know about the Primal Question.

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Today’s an interesting one…

I was recently coaching a group of leaders at Chick-fil-A.

After I explained the Primal Question model, we had fun taking educated guesses at the Primal Question of each of Chick-fil-A’s leaders over the years. You see, it’s not just people who have Primal Questions. Entire organizations have them too.

An organization’s Primal Question is often based on the Primal Question of the leader.

Every leader leads through the lens of their question.

They unknowingly filter decisions about vision, risk, opportunities, personnel, pay, etc. through the lens of their Apex Emotional Need. This seeps into the DNA of the organization. The interesting thing is that changes in leadership often come with a change in the DNA of the company because different leaders have different Primal Questions.

So how has Chick-fil-A’s Primal Question changed over the years?

Here’s what we came up with for what we think might be the Primal Question of each of Chick-fil-A’s primary leaders over the years.

#1 Truett Cathy

We started with Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A.

Truett grew up in the Great Depression, and we assessed that his likely Primal Question was, “Am I secure?”

As we unpacked that idea, it became unbelievably obvious how this question influenced the company. Take Chick-fil-A’s franchise model, for example. They set it up so that a franchisee doesn’t have to plunk down $100,000 to get started. It’s a very low amount in comparison to other franchises. That’s Truett putting his Primal Question over his franchisees. He didn’t want them to be financially in a bind.

Later in his life, Truett made a clear demand: that Chick-fil-A eliminate all of their debt.

Why? Because financial security was incredibly important to him. He wanted the future of his employees to be secure.

#2 Dan Cathy

Then we looked at Dan Cathy, Truett’s son.

Our belief is that Dan’s Primal Question is “Am I successful?”

And wow, you can see it everywhere. Dan took the company and absolutely exploded it. He made Chick-fil-A what it is today. His leadership was marked by rapid growth, expansion into new markets, and a boldness that elevated the brand to a whole new level.

That drive to succeed didn’t come from a marketing strategy. It came from Dan’s core emotional wiring.

#3 Andrew Truett Cathy

And now we have Andrew Cathy, the current CEO.

Our guess is that his Primal Question is “Do I have a purpose?”

If that’s true, there are going to be significant changes in Chick-fil-A. I promise you. There will be shifts in the company culture, priorities, and what they care about moving forward. You’ll start seeing more emphasis on legacy, impact, and doing good in the world because that’s what Andrew is wired to care about.

Sure enough, someone told me that at a recent company-wide gathering, Andrew rolled out new vision language centered on purpose and care.

That’s his Primal Question already influencing the company at a deep level.

So, what does this mean for you and your leadership?

3 Things You Need to Know About the Primal Question and Leadership

1. You Are Already Leading Through Your Primal Question

Your Primal Question is not something you can switch off when you clock in.

It is always on. Whether your question is “Am I safe?”, “Am I successful?”, or something else, it becomes the lens through which you interpret risk, set goals, manage people, and measure results. If you haven’t identified your Primal Question, you may be unintentionally leading from your Scramble. In other words, you may be frantically trying to get your Apex Need met through your work, instead of giving your Primal Gift to your work.

Leadership starts with self-awareness because what’s unresolved in you will always leak into your leadership (whether you know it or not).

2. Your Team Won’t Fully Buy In Until You Answer Their Question With a Yes

Most leaders think leadership is about casting vision, but the truth is people don’t follow vision.

They follow leaders who answer their Primal Question with a “yes”.

Your team is made up of individuals who are each asking their own Primal Question, and unless they’re getting a “yes” from you, they’ll stay guarded, distracted, or disengaged. They might stay on your team, but they definitely won’t give you their best. Why? Because they’re too busy managing their Scramble.

• When you say “yes” to someone’s question, you free them to give you their best.

• When you say “no,” even unintentionally, they’ll self-protect instead of contribute.

You can’t outsource this part of leadership. It is your job to know their question and lead with intention.

3. Your People’s Primal Gift Is the Key to Their Greatness

Every Primal Question has a corresponding superpower, the Primal Gift.

It’s the unique value someone brings to a team because of the emotional need they’ve spent a lifetime learning to meet. For example:

• “Am I loved?” → they bring deep empathy, connection, and emotional intelligence.

• “Am I good enough?” → they bring drive, standards, and a constant pursuit of excellence.

• “Am I safe?” → they bring structure, order, and a calming presence in chaos.

But here’s the catch: that gift only activates when they’re living in their Primal Truth.

If they’re in their Scramble, trying to prove they’re good enough or earn security, they’ll be exhausted and out of alignment. Your job as a leader is to align their role with their gift, protect them from Scramble, and create an environment where they can thrive. When you do this across a team, you build trust, joy, and long-term momentum.

The beauty of this process is that it’s not just about individual performance.

When team members are operating in their gifts, it creates harmony and synergy across the organization. Efficiency increases, trust deepens, and your team becomes unstoppable.

Think about it:

What would your team look like if every person was thriving in their lane of genius?

What if their Primal Gifts were fully aligned with your mission?

This is your action step for today:

If you don’t know your Primal Question, start by taking the free quiz.

If you’re already familiar with the Seven Primal Questions, choose one team member who isn’t thriving in their role. Reflect on their strengths and motivations. What might their Primal Question be? How can you answer it with a yes? What might their Primal Gift be? What adjustment could you make to help them thrive?

To your growth,
Mike

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