Hotel Leadership vs. Hotel Management: Key Differences

Many hoteliers wonder about the differences between hotel leadership and hotel management. Do Hospitality Professionals possess both qualities? Or do they learn over time to develop the qualities needed to be both? Some hotel property owners also wonder whether their establishments are simply being Managed or Led. Although, in quite a few cases, I must also admit that they believe they are leading them themselves. But that is another matter. “Leader” and “Manager” are among the most widely used words in hospitality and, in fact, they are very recurring topics on these pages, as I admit that I am passionate about the subject. But have you ever wondered what these words really mean? What is Hotel Leadership? What is Hotel Management? A hotel manager is a member of a hotel team responsible for carrying out the four key management functions: Planning, Leading, Organising and Controlling. But are all hoteliers leaders? Most hotel managers also tend to be leaders, but only if they also properly fulfil the leadership responsibilities of management, which include Communication, Motivation, providing Inspiration and Guidance, and encouraging hotel employees to achieve a higher level of productivity. Unfortunately, not all Hotel Managers are Leaders in their Hotels. Some hotel managers have poor leadership qualities and employees follow their managers’ orders because they are required to do so, not necessarily because they are influenced or inspired by the leader.

Hotel management duties are usually a formal part of a job description, and subordinates follow them as a result of the professional title or designation. The primary focus of a hotel manager is to meet the hotel’s goals and objectives; generally, they do not take much else into consideration. Hotel Managers are accountable for their actions, as well as for the actions of their subordinates.

What do leaders do?

The main difference between hotel management and hotel leadership is that leaders do not necessarily hold a management position. Put simply, a leader does not have to be an authority figure in the Hotel; a leader can be anyone in the Hotel. Unlike Hotel Managers, Hotel Leaders are followed because of their personality, behaviour and beliefs. A leader personally invests in tasks and projects and demonstrates a high level of passion for their work. Leaders take a great interest in the success of their followers, enabling them to achieve their objectives to the fullest satisfaction, although these are not necessarily the hotel’s objectives. A Leader in a Hotel does not always have tangible or formal power over their team. A hotel leader may be given temporary authority, and this may be conditional on their ability to continually inspire and motivate their followers for a particular project. The subordinates of a hotel manager are required to obey orders, whereas following is optional when it comes to hotel leadership. Leadership is built on inspiration and trust among employees; in general, leaders are people who challenge the status quo. A Leader can be visionary and creative. If you need help developing or identifying these skills in your team, contact me.

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Hotel Leadership vs. Hotel Management: The Key Debate

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