Leadership sets the tone for everything in hospitality: the guest experience, the culture of the team, and even the small daily interactions. Whether you’re a student running your first event, a new hire at a hotel, or a future general manager, the principle stays the same: everything starts at the top.
It is easy to think of leadership as being based on titles or seniority. Real leadership is about behavior, about the daily actions, decisions, and energy you bring to your environment. In the hospitality industry, we are constantly interacting with people under pressure, leadership becomes that much more important because it will impact the success of the operation and the happiness of the people within it.
Just think of what leadership brings to a place. Visualize a hotel in which the general manager, almost invisible, communicates very little with staff while supposedly attending to important matters more than people. Employees would become disengaged. The front desk agents would begin to smile less warmly. Housekeepers cut corners. The servers do everything slower, accompanied by audible sighs. The standards begin to fail, not because people are incompetent but because the energy from above has created an environment where no one feels particularly connected anymore.
Now, picture a different dynamic on view: a property in which the department heads are visible, approachable, and ever-present. They learn their staff members' names. Small wins are celebrated. They pitch in when help is needed, like carrying luggage and folding towels. In that type of environment, people don't just work; they care. They make the effort. And guests see this. Reviews improve. Staff staves off burnout. Pride builds.
Leadership shapes culture, and culture shapes results.
As hospitality students, many of us prepare for our first leadership roles. You are either in charge of organizing a club event, leading a team project, or working as a shift supervisor in a part-time job. Those jobs may be small in your eyes right now, but they hold the key to the leadership style that you will build on through the years.
Leadership doesn't start when you’re handed a title. It starts the moment you realize that your actions influence others. It starts when you decide to be the kind of person you would want to work with.
For instance, consider running a student gala. The whole organization exists only in name. Your volunteers have just about reached the end of their energy. Half the decorations have not shown up. The catering is late. At that moment, your team is looking at you, not for perfection, but for direction. If you stay calm, thank people for their efforts, and prioritize the next steps clearly, they’ll stay focused. If you panic or lash out, the situation will only unravel faster.
Moments of leadership in hospitality often occur in small occasions:
- When you take a few minutes to check in with a colleague who seems stressed.
- When you give clear, respectful feedback instead of letting resentment build.
- When you stay behind even though it’s “not your job.”
- Owning up to mistakes instead of blaming others.
Those small actions matter. They send a signal about what kind of environment you are helping to create. Over time, those signals add up and form the invisible "culture" that every guest and team member can feel, even if they can’t always explain it.
The biggest misunderstanding among young leaders is thinking they need to "have all the answers." Some of the best moments of great leadership occur when one admits they don’t know something, and then shows a willingness to figure it out together. People don’t expect you to be perfect. They expect you to be present, honest, and consistent.
Another lesson: Hospitality is characterized by service-oriented leadership. Leaders don’t hide behind their titles; they lead by example. That example can typically be seen in how they treat the newest hire, handle complaints, and above all, maintain humility no matter how successful they become.
You might also learn to make hard decisions under the banner of leadership. Some of those conversations will be uncomfortable. It also means holding people, including yourself, accountable to the standards you set. It’s not about being popular; it’s about being respected for the right reasons.
The hospitality industry is people-focused. Leadership is essential in hospitality, ensuring those you work with feel seen, supported, and inspired to give nothing but their best.
While undertaking your classes, internships, and the very beginning of your career, it might be worthwhile to keep asking yourself:
- Am I creating the environment where I want to work?
- Am I setting the standard I expect others to follow?
- Am I leading with my actions, not just my words?
Whether you’re running a five-star hotel, a student club, or a weekend event, it all works the same way:
It all starts with you. And it always starts at the top.
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