SPECIAL REPORT
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IF YOU LOOK AT CULTURE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH PEOPLE , TIMELY , TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION IS A REALLY BIG TICKET THAT DRIVES TRUST .
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Mady on the famed red carpet and green-and-whitestriped roof at the entrance to The Beverly Hills Hotel . affable , laid-back style , you ’ d never know he operates as such a business scientist .
“ This concept of timely transparency strongly motivates me ,” Mady continues . “ I feel compelled to be transparent and communicative with the team – always . Without that , there is no trust in the coach or leader . If you are not transparent , people become afraid . And if you let people become afraid , you can encourage a culture of gossip and fear . Transparency gives people peace of mind , and it in turn makes people feel safe . It is essential to me that my team feel safe .”
“ Professor ” Mady adds that GMs also need to be deliberate in telling the team where they want to go , rather than simply what to do . His formula for launching an initiative is simple : Create awareness , roll out , get buy-in ( a key step ) and follow up to reinforce . “ This is the heart and soul of how I lead a team ,” he says . “ We all believe in this strategy because a vision is only achievable once everyone understands it .”
Mady ’ s teaching style is not lost on some of his mentors . “ He empowers but stands beside his staff to advise ,” Schulze reflects . “ He hires people to be part of something , not just to fill functions . He creates trust in the organization so people work with him and for him . He creates excellence .”
FROM GRIT TO GLAMOUR Mady ’ s parents gave him his first taste of hospitality as a youth filling the fountain dispensers at their Baker ’ s Bar & Grill in Windsor . He attended the hotel program at the local college and soon after landed his first job , in 1974 , as night chef at Canadian Pacific ’ s Chateau Lake Louise in Edmonton , Alberta . He moved to the Royal York in Toronto and worked his way up to assistant F & B director , followed by his first executive job as F & B director in Curacao . Realizing he didn ’ t like the island life , Mady returned to Toronto and worked in F & B management for the next four years at the original Four
Mady had a lovehate relationship with New York ' s norotious hotelier , Leona Helmsley .
Seasons hotel , the Inn on the Park , where he got his first exposure to true luxury under GM Klaus Tenter .
Mady grabbed an opportunity to move to New York as the number three in charge at the Helmsley Palace , ruled by the notorious Leona Helmsley , dubbed the “ Queen of Mean ” for her reputation as a no-nonsense owner who would fire staff on a whim . Unsurprisingly , the two executives ahead of Mady were jettisoned in quick order and
24 hotelsmag . com November 2017