In September, Caterer will publish a dedicated issue on the subject of leadership and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
What does it take to be a good manager? What are the skills required to lead a team?
Who was your biggest mentor and why?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
For me great leaders "create an environment in which their employees want to work"
Anthony Lloyd
Fallowfields Hotel and Restaurant, Oxfordshire
www.fallowfields.com
Leaders exist on two levels for me. You have those at the cutting edge of development who shape the world. These would include the iconic chefs over the last 40 years from the Roux Brothers to Jamie Oliver. You can't ignore the impact they have on our society.
On the other more local level you have leaders in the work place. I think one thing they've had in common for me is that they've made things happen out of nothing except hard work, skill, passion and determination. They've boasted electric enthusiasm that's inspired teams to innovate, create and be visionary. Some of these leaders eventually became my mentors. I guess if you believe in the leadership of an individual, then follow and learn. A leader also should know when their own leadership becomes secondary to a new leader with greater expertise and skills.
Great leaders are those that know when to follow the rules, and also when to break the rules. Sometimes they will extinguish fires, other times they start them when no fire exists.
It is not neccesary for them to have 'been there, done that, got the 'T-shirt' in terms of doing the job, but more about coaching and training their teams to be able to do so. Its not always about how hard you work, in any capacity, but about working smarter and not harder.
Being a great leader should appear effortless.
Allow your team to make mistakes (thats the only way we learn!), but have the courage and conviction to coach them through their mistakes. Equally, everyone in the team should be made accountable.
Thanks for your contributions to this discussion. I guess another question worth exploring is what is the difference between a manager and a leader?
Who have been your greatest leaders or mentors and why?
I think managers can be leaders. The word 'manager' is just a formal label. Managers can be poor too though.
Gordon Cartwright: I think managers can be leaders. The word 'manager' is just a formal label. Managers can be poor too though.
A good leader does not have have to be a manager. A leader is should be someone who inspires and encourages. You don't always get that from a manager.
Thanks food fan, that's exactly what I was trying to establish. I guess a good manager isn't necessarily a good leader.
There is to me a distinct difference between being a leader and a manager. That does however not mean that you cannot be both.
Great leaders within our industry and beyond shine out because of their vision, their drive, their inspiration, their enthusiasm and the way that they can bring the individuals along with them on their journey.
Great leaders employ the right people around them to ensure that the leaders vision materialises and empower them to deliver.
Great managers tend to be the people who then bring the leaders ideas to life and deal with the delivery of the leaders vision.
There are many people who can do both but I feel that in a great organisation there is a balance between the leader and the manager.
Richard Branson is a great leader....is he a great manager?
Raymond Blanc is a great leader.....is he a great manager? He will say no and it is why he needs managers around him.
My greatest mentor as a leader has to be George Goring, again he inspired you to great things he knew what his vision was and then empowered his managers to deliver the vision and allowed them to accept the accolades.
I have been very lucky in working for Richard Branson, Raymond Blanc and George Goring all great leaders and sometime mentors but never forget the unsung mentors who guide us through life every day and don't get the mentions that they deserve.
Great Post Philip.
The debate, to a certain extent, is summed up in a quote from Warren Bennis.
"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why."
In the same vein, but slightly missing the point I feel was H. Ross Perot who said ...
"Inventories can be managed, but people must be led."
Henry Mintzberg (who i was lucky enough to meet recently on an IoD course at McGill University) is a great proponent of the seperation of Leadership and Management and indeed feels Management is under valued (as Ross Perot seems to do!) "Managers not MBAs" was the title of a mid 2000's book seeking to get back to management as a skill.
His recent book "Managing" is a must read for those who seek some insight into the conundrums of managing. Based on observations of day in the lives of 29 managers acros widely differing industries.
I will leave the last word on leadership to Dwight D. Eisenhower
"You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership."
Some great comments here - thanks for sharing.
Leadership is about winning hearts and minds - unless a team is wholeheartedly behind the one they call ‘leader’, it will not achieve.
However, the skill of a good leader is to empower team members to lead, particularly by example within hotels. We all have different roles to play in team achievement, manager, supervisor, worker etc, but the strength of a team is greater than the sum of its parts and in creating an environment where the team goal is so focussed upon that everything else comes second creates excellence.
I too worked for George Goring and he did indeed empower those around him to achieve his goal. This was carried out by clearly communicating his goals and philosophies, both directly and through his managers. The key was to get everyone on the same hymn sheet; which was achieved through highly developed levels of communication.
I was fortunate enough to attend a Leadership in Management programme at the leadership Trust (that I recommend to absolutely everyone); and since then have adopted a mentality of open and honest communication within the whole hotel – if the KP has not got the tools to do his job because I didn’t authorise the Purchase Order; why should he not reprimand me? - I would reprimand him if he had the tools but didn’t achieve the standard laid out. We are both committed to guest satisfaction so why should I be surprised, or scream “insubordination”!?
Re mentor: also from the Goring stable, my most influential mentor was David Morgan-Hewitt, with whom I learn a great deal, not just processes and procedures but the psychology of being an hotelier. I am aware of David’s drive within the industry for mentoring and can understand why.
James Hemming
GM Clumber Park Hotel and Spa, Sherwood Forest
I imagine those were the very words he spoke to the great 'General Patton' a true inspiration apart from the slapping of course!
Lots of good points here, James, and not the first time I've heard David Morgan-Hewitt name-checked as an inspiring mentor. I know what you mean about hearts and minds - such a shame that phrse has become tainted by its usage in the Vietnam War.
Something that I have become aware of recently is how important it is for a manager to ensure that their style of leadership is compatible with the team that they have under them.
Regardless of the style of operation or goals of the business, a good leader will always strive to get the best from their staff by focusing on their personalities and then communicating their expectations, standards and goals in a suitable way.
Point in case; the team that I currently have under me are all young (under 25) and very few are in the industry for the long haul.
This is a first for me, as during my short lived career have always been lucky enough to be managing a team of experienced and passionate individuals, with most of them keen to progress and learn as much as they can. Whilst still wanting to maintain the highest standards I can, I have also had to make adjustments in the way I communicate my expectations (which has involved casual pre-service chats as opposed to the more formal staff meetings that I am used to), as well as actively encouraging everyone to approach customer service in their own way and letting their personalities shine through.
Only time will tell whether this is a long term thing, but in the meantime I think the point I am trying to make is that it has to be a two way relationship.
Employees will listen to a manager when they are spoken to, although it is absolutely vital that a manager listens when they need to as well, whether or not they like what is being said.