Practices
of Great Leadership
Dan Flannery
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EDITION HOTELS
SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF HIS TEAM
Put people first, take chances, don’t kiss
up, and give recognition that sticks
By Bob Brown
Great leaders develop unseen talents. They
motivate, honor, and make us feel part of
something special. They are rare. That’s why
I and many others are fortunate to have
worked with Dan Flannery, SVP and Managing
Director of EDITION Hotels and Vice
President for The Ritz-Carlton New York and
Boston.
52 ILHA
1. Put people first. “When I worked with Dan he taught that
it’s easy to say, ‘Tell me what you need,’” says Kate Harth,
consultant and former Ritz-Carlton Director of Sales and
Marketing. “We can use our busy schedules as excuses for not
being there for someone. But Dan puts people first, even the
team’s family members. At The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park,
there was the catastrophic death of a manager’s child. So,
Dan rented busses to make sure anyone who wanted to could
go to the funeral and pay their respects. And, when my dad
passed, the wake was nearly two-and-a-half hours away. I was
shocked to see Dan at the funeral home—and more so when he
apologized for not being able to stay longer because he had to
catch a flight to China. Others would have used the flight as an
opportunity to bail.”