The Power of People: How IHG Creates Future Hospitality Leaders

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What turns a good hospitality company into a truly great one?

According to our guest today, it is all about the people. Leanne Harwood is an influential hospitality leader, currently serving as the Head of Luxury & Lifestyle Brands for the Americas at IHG, and today reveals how investing in people drives success in hospitality now.

Listen now on the Hospitality Daily Podcast

The big idea: Investing in your people is the key to delivering exceptional guest experiences and driving success in the hospitality industry.

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You can have a stunning hotel, but the worst guest experience. It’s the people that make the difference.

Leanne Harwood

Why this matters: A beautiful hotel is not enough in today's competitive hospitality landscape. It's how the people working there show up and act that makes the difference. Engaged staff are more likely to deliver true hospitality, which leads to satisfied guests and, ultimately, better returns for owners. As a hospitality leader, focusing on your team's development and well-being is crucial to creating a positive cycle of success for all stakeholders.

Put this into action:

Implement mentorship programs, like IHG's RISE initiative, to support the growth and development of up-and-coming talent.
Ensure empowerment programs have a well-managed and curated framework - including an application process to gauge commitment - to maintain momentum and achieve lasting results.
Introduce initiatives like the “Lean In Circles” Leanne describes. These provide a safe environment for sharing experiences and ideas and foster a culture of open communication and peer support.
Set aside dedicated time for mentoring conversations that focus on personal and professional growth rather than only day-to-day business (which is easy to fall into!)
Lead by example and actively participate in mentorship programs to demonstrate the importance of investing in people across your organization.

Listen now to the full conversation on this on the Hospitality Daily Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Spotify)

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how IHG is developing its future leaders now