The 21st century has radically changed our environment: markets, distances, cultures and lifestyles. Thanks to globalisation, what once seemed so distant is now part of our everyday lives and we, protagonists of a constantly evolving society, are called to constantly adapt and innovate in life and work.
In the hospitality world what has changed is the connection between people, the coexistence of many cultures within small and new realities and, above all, the value attributed to the skills of each individual interacting within a team. Among the skills that are given more and more importance, the fundamental role played by leadership stands out. The leader is an essential strategic lever for the business environment, a source of innovation, a conscious mediator, a propagator of knowledge and a conscious guide to the future.
The post-Covid-19 era requires leaders ready to live a different, unexpected future, where games’ rules have changed and the challenges have increased.
What are the intangible aspects and elements that a leader should know and master in this historical moment?
- Empathy and awareness: a leader must know the human assets that surround him/her and must know how to relate to each person. At this time, leading a team, which is often multicultural, requires effective management skills, which can strengthen ties and unite diversity among team members. In this context, a leader must be aware that the present must represent a meeting, and not a breaking point, between people.
- Flexible communication: being flexible means knowing how to adapt one’s communication style according to the interlocutor. In the hospitality business it is necessary to communicate by dressing the message as a “tailor-made” suit. It is essential to break away from the concept of standardized and static communication, both with guests and with one’s team. Therefore, the leader must learn to modulate his or her communication approach based on the expectation, culture, tradition and feelings of the people.
- Developing human resources: staff are always in close contact with the guest, so who better than a member of staff can see what can be improved? The hospitality industry is called to be “the people industry” and that is why it is essential to listen to them and involve them in order to understand all the aspects that can be improved in the interaction with the guest.
- Awareness of cultural diversity: valuing cultural heterogeneity through training programs can not only bring staff members closer together and integrate them, it can also enrich the ethical values for the leader and every other team member. Understanding the diversity that also characterizes people outside the team allows a greater knowledge of the guests, their expectations and the cultural nuances that can greatly impact their satisfactions’ criteria.
These elements are physically intangible but intensely perceivable in any business context. Hospitality professionals can be leaders who are aware of a living and changing reality.
It is the responsibility of a leader to animate business realities by making every relationship an opportunity to create value, changing old models of business strategy and putting people at the heart of it.
Martina Guizzardi
Content editor
Hospite – The Italian Hospitality Academy