If you agreed with the first two
statements, chances are you embrace
a “Democratic Leadership” model. If
you agreed with the second two, you
are likely in line with a more traditional
“Autocratic Leadership” model. This
isn’t to say one model is better than
the other (after all, there are many
leadership styles that are needed
at different times). If you ask me,
however, every hospitality executive
should work to embody the former
and only implement the latter when
necessary.
The reason for this is simple: our teams
have more power than we think to
drive exceptional guest experiences.
Not by simply performing the jobs
they are hired to do, but by being given
a seat at the decision-making table. As
managers, we should empower them
in their day-to-day lives to reimagine
service possibilities and guest
outcomes regardless of what level they
are at within the organization.
Why do I say this? Because service
excellence is driven by individuals
who genuinely care, and people only
start to care once they feel they are
being heard and making a difference.
As hospitality leaders, we have the
ability to get our teams truly excited,
energized and passionate about the
work they do. Let that thought sink
in. When you really think about it, this
is an extraordinary privilege and an
honorable duty.
WHAT DO YOUR ASSOCIATES
SAY ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU’RE
NOT AROUND?
That is a scary question, huh? The
answer will largely depend on your
leadership style.
Democratic Leadership is pillared
by participation. Not to be confused
with a laissez-faire approach, this
model allows team members to buy
into or have ownership of decisions,
plans and goals. In this environment,
conversations are usually initiated with
one simple question: “What do you
think?” The manager will always have
the final say, as he or she should, but
that decision will hold the weight of
ample input.
Here are two real-life examples
of what I mean, based on personal
experiences:
• I remember the power that was
given to me when I first started out
in my career as a guest services
representative. Specifically, I was
tasked with overseeing a property’s
guest satisfaction program. I was
lucky enough to have managers
who not only entrusted me with the
program, but allowed me to innovate
the system for future improvement.
I had more trust placed in me than
I thought I would get, and that
motivated me to maximize the
program’s effectiveness so that
leadership could more quickly
implement actionable steps to
transform the guest experience.
• In my current role for an innovative
hotel company, I meet with my
team each week to collaborate on
new ways to transform the guest
experience. We set aside this time to
discuss new ways to measure guest
satisfaction, improve KPIs, and build
momentum around targeted areas.
We create new goals each week,
and recommit ourselves to holding
each other accountable and working
together as one unit. I am of the
firm belief that the more buy-in you
get from your team, the stronger
their engagement will be and the
better results you will get.
So, how can you stay cognizant of
your employees’ needs and exemplify
true leadership? Here are a few ways
to embrace a Democratic Leadership
model and, in doing so, transform your
guest experience:
1. Let them make mistakes: This
is how they will learn to grow
and develop their personal best
leadership skills.
2. If they fall, help them back up: Be
supportive; do not turn your back
on them or immediately distrust
them.
3. Connect and engage: Their journey
is your journey. Whether you realize
it or not, you play a major role in
their future occupational success.
4. Constantly communicate: Keep
them informed. Be present and
aware of what is happening at a
grass-roots level.
5. Show respect at all levels: The
respect you show an entry-level
worker should look the same as that
towards a fellow senior executive.
Otherwise, your strategy will never
work.
As a hospitality leader with 30+ years’
experience, I inherently understand
the pressures and demands hospitality
leaders face. Spearheading your hotel’s
vision and inspiring a culture of service
excellence are no small tasks. Just
remember that you have strong talent
backing you up. You have employees
who yearn to leverage their ingenuity.
Help them do so, and you will help
yourself and your brand.
About the author
Robert Reitknecht is a veteran
customer loyalty professional and guest
experience expert for over two decades,
Robert has provided service-focused
insights to a number of Fortune 100/500
companies. He has worked primarily
in the hospitality and guest relations
verticals, crafting cultures of excellence
by spearheading quality standard
initiatives, process improvements and
hands-on training and development
programs.
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