Jul 31, 2019
Horst Schulze is Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Capella
Hotel Group, and Co-founder & Former COO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Company, and author of
EXCELLENCE WINS: A
No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of
Compromise. From age 14,
his visionary and disruptive principles have reshaped the concepts
of excellence, service, and competitive advantage, transcending
hospitality and across industries.
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The Leadership Podcast is proud
to announce a new initiative with thoughtLEADERS to provide very
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Key Takeaways
[2:51] Horst left home at the
age of 14 to go work in a hotel, as he had a passion for the
industry at a young age. He lived inside the hotel, and a Maitre d
showed him what it meant to set a standard of excellence and
respect no matter the job title or status.
[6:05] Horst wrote an essay in
school based on the ethos that the hotel is made up of “ladies and
gentlemen that serve ladies and gentlemen”. This reflected his idea
that every individual in an organization is worthy of respect and
the chance to contribute to the larger version of
excellence.
[9:33] At the Ritz Carlton,
Horst and his team believed in empowering all workers to make
decisions that would serve the purpose of keeping the customer at
all costs. They could even spend up to $2,000 to do so, and Horst
found this initial cost at the start saved money and loyal
customers over time.
[14:27] Great leaders measure
excellence and adapt around their findings. Horst consistently
examined the Ritz Carlton with employee and guest satisfaction
rates to see what was working, and what they could do
better.
[16:51] When we create processes
under one objective and make sure everyone involved understands, it
creates actions that are aligned with the purpose.
[20:06] The little things that
show people you care go a long way. At the Ritz Carlton, Horst made
sure his employees were properly selected and trained, and showed
guests they were focused on making their experience one of a
kind.
[25:56] Vision is so important,
and people will be more on board when they are part of the dream
and find purpose when they are part of the
objective.
[28:44] There is a difference in
keeping with tradition and being stubborn with non negotiables.
Horst puts decisions under the lens of it being good for all
concerned. If it is under the umbrella of serving
everyone,
then it there is no compromise. However, if it doesn’t serve
everyone, then be willing to adapt.
[28:44] Great leaders question
everything.
[38:35] Give employees purpose,
don’t just think of them as a way to perform a
function.
[39:02] Millenials have been
asking what’s in it for them, younger generations may have just
been too afraid to ask.
Quotable Quotes
- “In
life no matter what you do, you define yourself by how you do
it.”
- “It’s
not society that defines you. You define
yourself.”
- “The
vision creates the passion.”
- “Purpose is the directive of what you do, and
how you do it.”
- “Once
you figure out what’s good for everybody, it’s the moral thing to
do.”
Ritz Carlton
Capella Hotels
Website |
Excellence
Wins