IN MEMORIAL
Sorenson heading out for a run with a Marriott hotel team in Shanghai and curiosity ,” Sorenson says , adding that his experience has served as a broader lesson for the organization about giving people a chance to prove themselves .
“ We talk often about inclusiveness at Marriott , and obviously we have a very strong group of women leaders , and I ’ ll get asked often about how do you end up with that . I think to some extent , it ’ s buried in that lesson .”
Marriott himself reflects on first meeting Sorenson more than 25 years ago . “ What struck me then and what continues to impress me about him is how humble he is while being one of the smartest people I ’ ve ever worked with ,” he says . “ He is a very good listener , which is critical to being a leader . He ’ s also constantly thinking about people at this company — how to grow them and continue to provide opportunities . He is a curious person who is passionate about his work and the world around him . Convincing him to join Marriott nearly 24 years ago was one of the best decisions I ’ ve made .”
Sorenson says he has been working for years on , among other things , those listening skills . “ It is probably with each passing year more important … A lot of the decisions that are made I don ’ t make myself ,” he says . “ You have to make sure that the team is making them because they ’ re better steeped in the facts and background . They ’ re going to be responsible for the outcomes of those decisions in a way that ’ s very direct . So , they will learn better and be better successors to me or other leaders in the company .”
SORENSON ON LEADERSHIP
Having come up through the legal and M & A departments , Arne Sorenson offers his take on what ’ s required to become a more complete hotel leader :
“ To do well , you must recognize that there are many , many different aspects of the hotel business that have to be valued and understood .
“ And the traditional hospitality and people side of the business is still enormously important , and it ’ s going to be important forever . If you think you can manage this business only from a deal perspective , you ’ re doomed to fail . At the same time , if you ’ re an operator and have come up through the hotel ranks , you ’ ve got to make sure that you ’ re investing in learning the platform side , the branding side and the transactional side of the business .
“ If you ’ re engaged in a brand platform with a management and franchise business , you really need to understand both of those things .
“ For emerging leaders , be curious always . Don ’ t quit learning . Listen — always listen . Force yourself not to jump in and immediately prove that you know well what somebody is talking about , because you don ’ t need to prove yourself in every conversation that you ’ re having . So , make sure you listen .
“ The more senior the job , the more important communication skills are . And those communication skills include how you inspire people and communicate with people to create a single team . How do you communicate with clarity about what ’ s important , what ’ s not , and the direction that you ’ re heading ? And how do you communicate authentically to who you are ? That communication is , I think , a pretty essential part of what we have to do .”
That approach doesn ’ t mean he is getting less active or less engaged in the day-to-day . “ But I do think that recognition of the importance of team and the importance of delegation and the importance of empowerment is something that I was pretty pitiful at when I started working , and I think I ’ ve gotten better with each passing year . I ’ m certainly not necessarily where I want to be in that regard every single day . But I think it is a lesson that has been a very steady one to me .”
POWER OF FAMILY The role of CEO for the world ’ s biggest hotel company also requires balance , and for that Sorenson says he makes time to read every day and make time for himself — even if just for a few minutes .
“ Most people would say I ’ m an extrovert . I ’ m probably a bit of a hybrid ,” Sorenson says . “ I love being with people . But I like getting grounded and having a chance just to catch a breath . I ’ m also decidedly not a four-hours-of-sleep-a-night person . A lot of people say they get by on four or five hours of sleep , and I think often that ’ s extraordinarily exaggerated . I ’ m a proud sleeper .”
Sorenson is also a proud husband of nearly 40 years and father of four adult children . “ They ’ re all partners in my life , and they will give me input sometimes that I don ’ t even ask for . In many respects , they keep my feet on the ground and provide a tremendous base . If you feel good on your base , it allows you to take a little bit more risk in other places .”
12 hotelsmag . com March / April 2021