In the hospitality industry, we are in service to others. In every definition of being in service to others. We love to create magical experiences for others. We love to make someone’s day better by providing them with nourishing food and service. We feel enriched when we feel like we’ve made an impact on someone’s day, and then top it off that we get the verbal affirmation aftwards. As givers, we don’t know any other way. It’s a beautiful and rare gift to be in the presence of a giver as well as to receive their energy, joy, and skills. And I want to acknowledge it can also be very exhausting for us givers to not give back to ourselves first.
Leaders are givers. Period.
Being in a leadership role asks us to be constantly giving to others. Like always. We are here to create the space for our team and guests to feel comfortable. We are here to listen, acutely, to our team and guests’ needs. We are here to orchestrate all of the moving pieces to alleviate potential stressors or disruptions so everyone around us can always feel supported and a sense of calm. This requires us to give a lot when we are in this role. But the beauty about leadership is, plain and simple, it’s rewarding and it’s a selfless act.
You have the opportunity to co-create spaces for people to learn and grow. To be fully themselves without feeling shame, guilt, insecure or not deserving enough to be in their role. A leader guides each of the individuals on the team to be fully themselves and highlights how their uniqueness makes the team full.
The list of what falls into a leader's lane is endless. Truly. Half of the time, you cannot fully define what a leadership role is because we are interacting with humans on a moment by moment basis and that makes our days unpredictable. Due to this, leaders are usually givers. We give endlessly, selflessly, and also because it fulfills us. It’s the beautiful and expansive part of being a leader. However, if you don’t protect some of that special gift of giving, you will find yourself resentful, exhausted more often than you anticipate you would. And you will find yourself depleted, sick or reactive.
Is it possible to be a generous giver and not feel burnt out or taken advantage of at times?
OUI! It is!
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