When was the last time you saw a leader doing something amazing? I have decided to be on the lookout for moments when leaders do something right! I can’t claim that these are good leaders, only that I witnessed them doing something right, in the moment.
I noticed many awesome leadership moments when I was visiting the Dominican Republic. Here are some examples:
Customer Service Training – it’s clear to me there is a consistent methodology to how they want to deliver service. I witnessed the same messages in greeting, delivery, and closing a service no matter where I went. Whether on the beach ordering drinks, in the fine-dining seafood restaurant, getting treatment in the spa, eating at the morning buffet, room delivery, or the cleaning staff; it always starts with, “Hello Señora or sometimes Señorita (☺️), what can I help you with?” Then they execute, quickly and with a smile. I say “Thank you”. And they consistently say “It’s my pleasure. Enjoy”. Leadership has obviously been intentional with its service training and delivery.
Pre-shift Meetings – I noticed that the staff would be gathered around a central location 30 - 45 minutes before a bar or restaurant opening. The staff was always paying attention to the person speaking, who I imagine was the supervisor. I never saw anyone daydreaming, lingering in the back, or yawning during these meetings. They were fully engaged in the conversation. The assignments for the shift appeared to be precise and direct. The meetings were short, no more than 10-15 minutes. At the end, there was some level of acknowledgment, and the team broke with huge smiles on their face. Clearly, something motivational was said to get them to leave the meeting with smiles on their faces.
Walking the Grounds – on many occasions I saw a different uniformed person walking the grounds and monitoring the site and facilities. Based on the uniform, I believe these were upper management. They walked the grounds like a guest would, checking to ensure washrooms were clean and had enough supplies, safety issues were dealt with promptly, ensuring events were set up properly and safely, etc. What I noticed was that this habit happened regularly, no matter which manager was on duty. I would guess it was part of a regular routine because it happened consistently, it was planned, and organized and it was a clear responsibility of this management team. And when something needed attending to, they immediately called over the staff identified the problem, and delegated the work.
So how cool is this? So often we hear about the things that go wrong. I’m not going to say things were perfect, but I can count on one hand the things that went wrong vs 10 days of things that went perfectly right.
Leadership is doing something right.