Finding the Leaders on Your Staff

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Not every member of a team is meant to be a leader, but there are some oft-hidden traits you can seek out when you’re looking to bump someone to a leadership or training role.

Most successful leaders have a way about them that makes people pay attention to what they have to say, but not all great leaders are talkative. One way to find hidden leaders among your silent types is to look for deference among the rest of the staff. While many quiet people can be talked over in a group setting, hidden leaders tend to have the final (very few) words.

Good leaders focus on the important. If you have a guy who seems to be great at getting people behind him, but then wastes hours on minutia, he may not be the kind of leader you want. Find someone who has a clear view of the goal and intentionally works toward it without getting bogged down and distracted with things that really don’t matter.

They know how to prioritize on the fly. The front desk is a great place to practice this skill. They often deal with situations that involve multiple tasks getting done while changing people with changing needs are putting new tasks in front of them. Anyone in hospitality knows the importance of being able to add new tasks to an ever-growing list, re-order priorities, and get things done without forgetting anything.

Great leaders know how to delegate, without either dropping the ball or micromanaging. They are able to hand off a task, see it through to the end, and allow the other staff member to use their own skills or talents to ensure it is complete.

They understand the needs of the individual, and know how to balance meeting those needs in a group setting. There are many tasks that showcase this skill, but scheduling comes to mind as one that is constant.

Your best leader may not seem to be the brightest star because they know how to let others shine. They put people on tasks that match their strengths, and know when to step in or back off.

They are advocates for their team members and ambassadors for their brand. They know the company values and what role they play, and they know their team and what needs to be done to keep the best on board.

Hospitality has a lot of moving parts, all with fantastic customer service at their core. Recruiting from within is a great way to find people who already have the basics down and maybe haven’t yet found their place to shine.