Recently, I read an article about the importance of hands-on experiences in the hospitality sector. It struck a cord.
I couldn’t be more in agreement. In my first nine hospitality years, I did exactly that: worked in the kitchens, carried luggage, cooked, received deliveries, managed stock, checked in guests and waited tables.
This experience taught me:
You must earn your stripes in the gym.
For you to lead in the hospitality sector, or any industry for that fact, you will need to possess firsthand experience as well as critical technical skills. You must know what you are talking about. This means serving your customers with passion and understanding their work. It also means respecting those who do it and empathising daily challenges.
Hands-on experience alone is not enough.
Often, it’s not acknowledged that your job will change once you reach a certain level. Your job now is to inspire others, coach them, make tough choices, develop them, build strategy and communicate clearly.
Few managers are equipped to lead. Continuous learning is important.
You should read books to supplement your practical experience if you are in the early or middle stages of your career. Read the books. Study the frameworks. Study the frameworks.
Experience is the key to developing your leadership skills. It’s not just experience that builds your competence, but also reflection, learning and growth.
My experience with leadership development and assessment tells me that the best leaders are willing to take time away from the business in order to develop their core leadership skills.
Hands-on experience? Essential.
It’s only the beginning for those who want to be leaders.
The greatest generals studied leadership, strategy and warfare to become great.
It’s the exact same concept in the hospitality industry.
