Competencies and leadership

This chapter focuses on the management of hospitality experiences and hospitality professionals. It reviews various ways of looking at leadership and the contextual factors that influence leadership. The chapter discusses what kind of management and leadership is required of hospitality managers and culminates in a list of the main management competencies that any hospitality leader should master. The quality of leadership is a key determinant for the success or lack of success of organisations. Student could argue that this is true for businesses in any industry, not just the hospitality industry. Many organisations in the hospitality industry use the competency-based approach to development to help employees improve their performance and, ultimately, increase the productivity and efficiency of the organisation. The hospitality industry and applying hospitality principles are built upon creating the right interaction between hosts and guests. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.