Inspiring leaders of tomorrow

To shape a new breed of leaders in hospitality, it is imperative that the men at the helm set an example. This is especially necessary in an industry where fickleness and attrition rule roost. By Neeti Mehra

There is an old proverb that is as succinct as it is meaningful - Where there is no vision, the people perish. It is within this visionary sphere that leaders of tomorrow are incubated and nurtured to take the next step. In olden times, and as seen in privately-held hospitality organisations, the position of leadership was inherited till professionalism was infused. While professionals were brought in to run the show, more often than not the family still held the reins.

Look at the Marriott history for instance. John Willard Marriott secured a franchise for A&W root beer in his late 20s and opened a nine-seat beer stand. For the next six decades he focussed on his business, barely resting, even as his older son, J Willard 'Bill' Marriott Jr, took over as the company's CEO. Marriott Sr was a hands-on leader and based his philosophy on a tenet that rings true even today - take care of your employees and they'll take care of your customers.

True, a company is only as good as its people. Moreover, it is these very people who look upwards for inspiration and leadership. Today, the company has nearly 2,900 lodging properties in the United States and 68 other countries and territories. By the end of 2006, approximately 1,51,000 employees were working for the company.

Today, the strain of the 21st century is showing across organisations. Employees bear the brunt of tightened purse strings despite buoyant occupancies and plump RevPars. Long work hours add to this pressure. In such a scenario, it is the inspired leaders that employees turn to for direction, be it the departmental head or the CEO of the organisation who puts in equal effort to make the business a success. But genius can come from other sources too - sometimes from filial ties and sometimes from another industry.

Humble beginnings

Is a leader born or can a leader be made? Is it the charisma of an individual or their education that moulds them to take this position in a globalised world? If there was a formula to devise a leader, it would have been patented, packaged and sold to the highest bidder.

A leader, best defined in its amorphous form, has an inherent need to succeed, coupled with a vision. Look at the legacy our own industry has been built on. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi lost his father when he was only six months old. He arrived penniless from Lahore fleeing from a virulent plague to land in Simla. He found a job that paid Rs 50 a month as front desk clerk at The Cecil Hotel.

Not restricting his efforts to the front desk, the young man began shouldering more responsibilities and hopped, skipped and jumped into all operational roles to impress the hotel's manager. Later, he assisted another hotelier, honing his skills to a T. In 1934, this entrepreneur acquired his first hotel - The Clarkes Hotel - from the aforementioned mentor by mortgaging his wife's jewellery. With all at stake and a desire to succeed, the entrepreneur had everything to lose. The rest is well-carved in the annals of hospitality. The grand old man of hospitality displayed sheer resourcefulness, initiative and hard work. This potent formula, executed at the right time, with a little luck factored in has become one of India's biggest success stories. It is inspirational, indeed.

Sunil Mathur, director of International Development (Indian Ocean & Middle East) of Wyndham Hotel Group, who ranks the Oberoi brand high on his list of inspirations, says, "I have great respect for the professionalism of Oberoi Hotels. To me, both the hardware and software components are equally important in a complete hotel product and the Oberoi brand excels in both. P R S Oberoi stands for uncompromising quality like his late father and in this country at least, there isn't anyone who is equal to them on that strength, he says.

From whom or what does the industry get inspired? Kamlesh Barot, director of Encore hotels, has seen inspiration come from the family hearth. "As a child I'd see my uncle and father lead the food business in the early 1970s and always cherished a dream of out-numbering their outlets. After meeting other industry stalwarts during the tough years after my catering course, the dream started coming into focus and the inspiration from these industry leaders drove me to reach further, and continue to inspire me till date," he reveals.

In others, this dream is internalised. Says Vilas Pawar, CEO of Choice Hospitality India, "My inspiration comes from within and from the desire to be the best in whatever I have chosen to do. When I travel overseas and experience the hospitality of the hotels there, I see no reason why we in India cannot be the best in this field. Therein is the inspiration to excel and offer the best."

It is a people business after all. Explains Ratnesh Verma, area vice president for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts (South Asia), "No two days or situations are the same; there's constant learning and evolving. In this business, it is very important for a leader to be hands-on. Being ready to roll up one's sleeves and demonstrating the will and the skill to get any job done is critical in this industry."

Times have changed since Marriott was launched. In a globalised world, a leader needs to inspire employees across different nations and cultures. This is evident as we see Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces spread across the seven seas and in gateway cities across the world. Not only that, global practices today need to promote sustainable development while balancing investor goals. That is when the leader steps in.

Leading the future

The gap between an idolised leader and an actual one is unfortunately widening. Today, a company based in India will have employees across the globe. In such a case, seeking inspiration from an absentee leader is difficult. As expectations mount, the traditional connotation of leadership witnesses a change.

In a flatter world, decision making is more at the spur of the moment, coloured in different hues of globalisation. Split-second decisions is not restricted to the upper echelons but has reached the lower rungs as well. In such a scenario, the followers need to be well-versed in exhibiting these qualities. Today, leadership is everyone's business. Micromanaging is a harbinger of doom and this awareness is percolating throughout the industry.

To bring each employee at par on the leadership scale, certain measures need to be taken. Speaking on how persons at the helm can affect employee decisions Barot says, "A knowledge base is key to leadership. It is necessary to stay updated with the happenings around the world in one's sphere of operation because it allows one to maintain that leadership position. To trigger this process, demonstration is the strongest influencer."

Success is the best teacher, Barot emphasises. "When one sees a player making strides in the industry through leadership qualities, one wants to emulate that by striving to better their performance. Once in the league of pitching further than the standards set upon him, the leader finds himself in a chronic leadership momentum, which makes him lead by his own standards and example," he points out. This is a must for family-run businesses that need to compete with global giants, be it a McDonald's or a Pizza Hut.

In crunch situations, a leader is expected to hold fort without turning back. This raises the bar of respect in the eyes of the followers and creates a bond of trust, which is integral to the survival of an organisation. It is therefore necessary to have regular dialogue with the team to work out solutions. Mathur adds, "I am a team player. I like to involve myself with my colleagues and discuss various options to everyday challenges. I don't just leave them to try something that works; I like to be right there in the thick of things."

Reiterates Pawar, "I would not ask or expect anyone to do anything which I myself am not capable of doing. If it is something that I have not done given my experience in this industry or cannot see myself doing, I would not expect others to deliver on that particular aspect." It starts from the word go. "When I start something new, I ensure I am fully involved from the beginning. I only let go of it once the process is established. Personally, I always like to lead from the front," he emphasises. This brings us to the moot question: what will the 21st century leader transform into?

Tomorrow's leaders

A leader is one that not only leads but is also able to develop talent. Creating a level playing field, he must encourage an atmosphere of sharing - be it information, a value system, and constructive feedback. Most of all, he must deliver what is expected from him. There is nothing more deflating than a leader who is all talk and no substance. Verma agrees and says, "Leading by example is synonymous with being ready to do the job oneself if the need arises. Also, self discipline, consistency and walking the talk are key leadership traits."

It is a point that resonates with Pawar. He says, "Industry leaders need to set standards, both personal and professional, so that the people they are working with can look up to them."

As brought up before, a head honcho is as good as his team, or as good as his deputy. With attrition rates scaling new peaks, a right hand man should be capable of ascension whenever required. Many a family-owned company has faced the brunt of it as seen in the sale of Delhi-based fast food chain Nirula's because there was no interested successor in the Nirula family.

Corporations can shrug off ascension difficulties by approaching the market for the next best incumbent. But that too is fraught with high churn, whether it is for the next best opportunity or due to stringent guidelines involved in hiring and firing in publicly-held companies. Consider the case of Patrick Imbardelli, former chief executive (Asia Pacific Region) of the Intercontinental Hotels Group. Declared as Hotelier of the Year 2006 at the 10th Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference, he resigned in June this year following an internal review of his academic qualifications previously presented to the company.

So, how are today's leaders shaping up those of tomorrow? Says Mathur, "Experience is a great teacher and there is no substitute for well-rounded expertise and professional depth. Both are very important. We need people with a 'can do' attitude. Only they can take greater responsibility. Leaders need a sense of continuity and vision for everything and everybody around them. They need to possess a well-informed international mindset with a localised approach."

Verma points out that the leaders of the future need to be groomed today - not exactly an easy task. "The hospitality industry with its ambitious growth plans has to invest in infrastructure for quality vocational education,” he says. Mathur says that caution needs to be exercised too. "We need to guard against people having shallow experience and low expertise getting into leadership roles because that is surely the beginning of the end of any organisation."

With extremely high guest expectations, the industry stays on its toes to survive and in the bargain hones the leaders of tomorrow." For new entrants, it is important to unleash leadership potential over the course of their career - with a little help from the educators, their mentors, and a lot from themselves.