“Tools of a Leader: Consider a Sacrifice Bunt”

I want to share some thoughts on Hotel Equities’ Value Statement #5, “The greatest leaders are the greatest servants.”

It’s no secret that I’m a huge baseball fan. I’ve loved the game for as long as I can remember. Like many kids, I played Little League and started collecting baseball cards while growing up in Boston.  I also played organized baseball in the Babe Ruth League, in high school and for two years on a semi-pro baseball team. Now, I am blessed by getting to enjoy following my grandson Eli White’s career as the current shortstop for the nationally ranked Clemson Tigers. Baseball is in my blood.

Like many of you who have had the opportunity to play organized sports, I’ve learned a lot about leadership from the game.  Consider the sacrifice bunt.  Knowing that he will likely be thrown out and, knowing that his batting average may be negatively impacted should he not succeed in putting down a near perfect bunt, the batter must put the ball in play in order to advance the base runner and allow him to be in a better position to score a run for the good of the team.

As leaders, we are often called on to sacrifice our time and efforts to do things that put our team in a better place. The next time you are faced with a leadership decision, consider a sacrifice bunt.

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Chairman & CEO

Tools of a Leader: Inspect What You Expect

Before starting Hotel Equities, I was fortunate enough to work for some of the top firms in the industry. I started with the Sheraton Management Training Program, the best in the business at the time.  I learned the basics of hotel management and also had the opportunity to observe my instructors and mentors and learn about leadership and their styles of leadership.
I don’t believe anyone begins a new job with the intention of doing poorly. Good leadership comes into play the very first day on the job and often dictates the level of success of the new team member. To get any job done well, you have to set clear expectations. Then comes the follow up, as expressed in Hotel Equities’ Value Statement #4: “Inspect what you expect.”
At Hotel Equities, the leadership team for training recently instituted an onboarding process that brings new general managers and corporate leaders to the corporate office to meet face-to-face with key corporate personnel who serve as coaches.  Over a two-day period, they review culture, policy and procedures in a series of meetings but, more importantly, they also begin building relationships with those team members who they will work with in the future.  Expectations are defined. Plans for follow-up [inspections] are laid.
Multiple team members will monitor, check in, make calls and generally inspect those expectations set during hiring and onboarding.  Follow-up happens, even when things appear to be going well.
For all associates, from housekeepers to vice presidents, we set expectations and inspections for every position and every task in an intentional effort to produce, ‘Excellence in Hospitality’.


Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone
Chairman & CEO
Hotel Equities

Tools of a Leader: Teach Them the Business

One of my favorite leadership coaches, John Maxwell, put it this way, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”  As head coach of our team of associates, I believe it’s critical that we “Hire an attitude and teach them the business,” as expressed in our firm’s Value Statement #3.

Several years ago, Hotel Equities began a Management Development Program designed to grow talent within the company.   To date, six classes, each with five or six members, have completed the classwork. Over 70 percent of the graduates have moved into bigger, more responsible roles in the firm.

Last fall, we introduced a Leadership Development Program targeting associates with multi-unit responsibilities.  We tapped rising stars, under the guidance of our Vice President of Learning & People Development, to meet for discussions, take on assignments and work with senior leaders who mentor them in all aspects of the hotel business.

As the product of a corporate-sponsored management training program myself, I am committed to supporting and teaching in our training programs because I believe they are vital to our firm’s future.

Within our company, opportunities abound daily for each of us to ‘show the way’ and ‘teach the business’.   We learned from those who led us.  Now it’s our turn to teach the people we lead.

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone,

Chairman & CEO

“Tools of a Leader: Hire an Attitude”

When my Executive Assistant met this young man, he was waiting tables at a local casual restaurant. She and her husband noticed something different immediately.  It wasn’t just his engaging smile, pleasant conversation or attention to the details of serving their meals, it was his positive attitude.

She encouraged him to apply for a position at one of our local hotels.  The General Manager of the hotel hired him because of his attitude and taught him to be a front desk associate.  Two years later, he was honored at the hotel brand’s national conference as an Associate of the Year for the entire brand, which numbered some 500+ properties nationwide.  “Hire an attitude and teach them the business.”  It’s value statement #3 for Hotel Equities.

I’ve experienced similar stories time and again throughout my career.  Find a person with a positive attitude who has a servant heart, enjoys working with people and wants to make a difference, and chances are you have found someone who will be successful in our industry. 

We can teach that person to work the mechanics of the front desk, how to sell rooms, or even manage a hotel.  And we’ll gain an outstanding associate who will take excellent care of our guests.

Attitude doesn’t register on a resume, but it shines in a face-to-face interview.

A positive attitude is one of the most important keys to success. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, “Minds are like parachutes; they only work when they are open”.

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Casting a Vision

The Hotel Equities’ Vision Statement clearly proclaims, “Excellence in Hospitality” at the top of our corporate Commitment Card, now carried by more than 1,500 associates. 

As leaders, after we identify a worthy vision, we must cast the vision for our teams.  We must also articulate the vision, repeatedly, so that our associates know where we are going and what we have to accomplish.  We must make the vision compelling enough so that it becomes a call to action. 

Do you recite your firm’s vision to your team on a regular basis? If not, “vision leakage” will occur and your team will not function at its optimum capacity.

Be bold…..share the vision…..give direction….help connect the dots for your team.   Don’t let your team wander and lose focus.  Be the leader you are called to be. 

Encourage your team and remind them of the progress they are making to achieve their goals. 

 

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone
Chairman & CEO
Hotel Equities

Tools of a Leader: Brainstorming

One of my all-time favorite leadership tools is brainstorming.  Defined, it is a process for generating ideas and solutions through intensive and, often, freewheeling group discussion.  The process begins with the participants feeling free to express their thoughts without reprisal. 

 

Assembling the thoughts and ideas of creative and engaged people who have a stake in the success of an organization can be a powerful and rewarding experience.  Every participant is encouraged to suggest as many ideas as possible, no matter how improbable or outlandish.  Analysis, discussion and critique follow after the brainstorming is completed.  Then the leader must guide the group to next steps.   

 

We brainstormed in one breakout session during our recent company conference.  Small groups of seasoned general managers and directors of sales shared ideas for projects in which our hotels can engage and give back to their communities.  They identified nearly 100.  After the session, the leaders compiled a master list entitled Community Service Opportunity Ideas and distributed it as a valuable resource for all of our hotels.

 

Brainstorming gives everyone an opportunity to contribute and the group benefits from the collective wisdom.  If you haven’t used this tool lately, I highly recommend it.

 

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Discipline

One of my mentors, John Maxwell, put it this way, “Discipline is doing what you really don’t want to do, so that you can do what you really want to do.  It’s paying the price in the little things, so that you can buy the bigger thing.” 

When I went back to school to earn a master’s degree at the age of 62, it was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done.  I did it because I wanted to set a good example for my grandchildren and associates, and I wanted to keep my mind disciplined and sharp.  The sacrifices made and the time invested have paid dividends beyond my expectations.

To be successful as a leader requires discipline in many areas. One that always brings good results is spending quality time with new hires.  Setting clear expectations and giving proper training to associates when they first come on board pays tremendous benefits as these rookies grow and mature into top talent and highly effective team members.

A living example of discipline in action is my grandson, Eli White.  Years of disciplined, focused practice from little league through high school, led to a college scholarship and a current role as the starting shortstop on the Clemson University baseball team.  To keep his spot and to prepare for the next opportunity, his discipline continues with daily workouts and practice, in addition to college classes.

I am so proud of Eli for both his baseball and classroom achievements. I am equally proud of each of our hotel team members who utilize their training and skills to take great care of our guests. A winning formula for success in almost any venture is the utilization of gifts and talents to accomplish worthwhile things by making a difference in the lives of others.

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: The Power of Teamwork

It’s March Madness again in the world of college sports.  Have you completed your basketball bracket?   Will your teams play in the Final Four?

Winning games is all about teamwork.  You’ve probably seen the word TEAM spelled out as an acronym:

Together

Everyone

Achieves

More

I often use sports analogies in teaching situations because most people can relate to them quickly.  They understand the concept that a winning team is one that fully utilizes the gifts and talents of each team member in a unified fashion for a common good.  When that happens, everyone benefits. 

If a highly-talented team underachieves, it is usually due to poor team chemistry.  We call it “team chemistry” but what it really amounts to is the under-utilization of everyone’s gifts.  Instead, one, two or more players may selfishly choose to demonstrate their gifts and talents for personal gain rather than playing for the benefit of the overall team.  Coaches must often remind their players of the power of the team concept. 

As a leader, it is important that you teach your associates to fully comprehend and employ the power of the teamwork.

I hope you win your pool!

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Integrity

Hotel Equities’ Value Statement #10 reads: “Having integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking.”  In order to lead, you must not only earn the respect of your followers, but you must lead with honesty and authenticity to build a strong level of trust.

Consider the recent example of the little league baseball team stripped of its U.S. World Series Championship title because the coaches brought in players from outside the district’s official boundaries.  The hard-working boys played by the rules and won the tournament, only to be disqualified because of the lack of integrity of the adult leaders.
 

Integrity in the workplace is just as important as it is on the playing field.  A leader in the hospitality industry demonstrates his/her integrity during interactions with peers, colleagues and subordinates, as well as with the general public.

Whether it is the housekeeper vacuuming under the bed daily, even when she can’t see any dust or the General Manager paying for snacks from his/her pocket and not petty cash, leading by example sets the foundation for appropriate and honest workplace behavior.

As a leader, you earn the trust of your followers through your demonstrations of integrity.  Your team must trust you before they will follow you.  Your followers will know if you have done the right thing, even though they were not looking.

Albert Einstein said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Do you love what you do?

I love what I do!

I always look forward to the start of the year as we cast a vision and set goals and strategies in preparation for the exciting months ahead.  It’s a time of great expectation for our team.

My career in hospitality spans more than four decades. The hotel industry has given me an opportunity to do something significant with my life and, hopefully, make a difference.

From desk clerk to general manager to CEO, my career has provided me with unique opportunities to influence the people whom I have encountered: guests, associates, vendors and owners.  Our associates are especially important to me. I consider them teammates and a key ingredient in our team’s success.

As the company’s Chairman and CEO, I’m also the Head Coach of more than 1,000 team members at our fast-growing company.  We’re proud of the fact that we hire selectively, provide great tools and training, and put our team members to work in excellent facilities that are located strategically throughout the country.  As a result of our core values and practices, such as our general managers holding daily team huddles in which they review our value statements, our company culture is the envy of the industry. Each associate plays an important role in our success.

As we continue to grow Hotel Equities, we are looking to add new team members, with great attitudes and who want to participate in an exciting career journey.  We want associates who are committed to excellence and want to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those they come in contact with as a result of their daily interactions.  We want team players who are excited to come to work every day because, like me, they love what they do.

If you know someone who would enjoy becoming a part of something new and exciting, have them contact us at: careers@hotelequities.com.

 

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

'Tis the Season

Today’s crisp chill in the air feels just right, for after all, ‘tis the season. ‘Tis the season for friends and family to gather and most importantly, to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

 

‘Tis the season for events and gatherings that build camaraderie with neighbors, co-workers, colleagues and business associates as well. Our annual Hotel Equities’ Open House brought together an eclectic group of people who enjoyed a festive time.

 

This year, our entire family, including our six grandchildren, will spend time at a Costa Rica beach resort where we’ll have time to strengthen our relationships and share stories that help us know where we’ve been and who we are.

 

If we are not careful, Christmas can also be one of the most stressful and hectic times of the year. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of attending events and buying gifts that the holiday always demands. My personal challenge, and one that I share with you, is to keep things in perspective this year.

 

‘Tis the season to remember the real reason for Christmas: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. When we focus on Jesus, God’s precious gift to all people, we can experience heavenly peace, unconditional love and complete joy. That’s my wish for you.

 

Merry Christmas!

Fred Cerrone

Do You Have the Courage to Honor Your Convictions?

Like many of us, I once forgot what day it was and visited a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday morning, only to be reminded that they were closed. I admit to being a bit frustrated at first, to be denied the goods from my favorite fast food restaurant. My first reaction was followed by surprise that the company would close on such an important day for restaurant sales.

I have since learned that the sales achieved in six days, at the average Chick-fil-A, far exceed what most of its competitors average in seven days.

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, and I would never meet, but his sacrificial decision to value his faith and worship ahead of profits has been an inspiration to me.  His witness of the priorities in his life has impacted millions of people who have driven past his closed restaurants.  He touched more people by that one decision than many pastors will reach in a lifetime.

I have to admit that I have given much thought over the years as to how I might replicate Cathy’s model within the hotel business. I concluded that it would be difficult to ask guests to vacate their hotel rooms for the day in order for me to follow his lead. Having said that, his example has challenged me to think of other ways I could express my faith as a part of my business.
                                                                                                                                                    
Cathy died recently at the age of 93.  It's tempting to describe him as another rags-to-riches American financial success story.  But if that's all we remember, we'll miss the most important lesson he tried to teach us: that the more difficult our obedience, the greater the reward.

I don't know how much Truett Cathy's decision to close Chick-fil-A on Sundays cost his company's bottom line, but I do know that his sacrificial commitment to honor God touched me and countless others. 

What difficult decision is God asking you to make? 

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Courage

You may have heard that CVS made a bold and courageous move last week by announcing it will eliminate cigarette sales in all its stores. According to the Wall Street Journal, tobacco is the number one cause of preventable disease and death in America. A U.S. Surgeon General report last month linked 480,000 deaths to smoking.

Larry Merlo, a pharmacist who became the CEO of CVS in 2011, announced, “The sale of cigarettes and tobacco at CVS pharmacy stores ends today. By eliminating the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products in our stores, we can make a difference in the health of all Americans.” 

His announcement is expected to put pressure on competitors Walgreen’s, Rite Aid and Walmart to adopt similar measures.  I admire the courage that it took for Larry Merlo and his leadership team to be the first in their industry to take a stand and, undoubtedly, take a hit in profits to do what they believe is for the greater good.

Jim Denison, one of my personal favorite mentors when it comes to relevant cultural issues, wrote in his September 4th Denison Forum that he spent an evening not too long ago discussing cultural issues with a group of brilliant, passionate young adults. One of the questions that surfaced during the discussion was, “How can I make a difference?”  They apparently see the great needs of our society and want their lives to count.

Don’t we all want our lives to matter? Wouldn’t we all like to think that, once we leave this earth and our “Dash” is over, we will have made a difference?

I believe that one of the things we all have in common is our search for significance. How many opportunities have we allowed to pass us by simply because we didn’t have the courage to act?

I hope you will join me on my journey to help build a hotel company that makes a distinct difference in the lives of others. This I know.  It will take courage.

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Spending Quality Time

Today is the birthday of one of my best friends.  Although, like you, I sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, today I was reminded that there is nothing more important than relationships … relationships with God, family, co-workers and friends.  I believe that life is a journey and that we get to choose where, how and with whom we travel.   Our lives are really the sum of the things we prioritize.  Today, I choose my relationship with my friend, whom I am taking to lunch.  Remember to take time today to express the value of your relationships. 

Following is a message that helps me to keep things in perspective.

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Leaders Take Action

I often find inspiration in reading stories of the lives of others and the lessons learned.  Take for example Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. 

Hillary shared some excellent leadership wisdom about the importance of taking action when he said, "Once you've decided what it is you're going to do, start right now."

In an interview not long before his death, he talked about taking action versus procrastination that has caused failures in people who could have achieved great things. He said, “Today, I'm eighty-eight years old and there are six projects I will never be able to do.”

He shared that in 1955, he was exploring Antarctica and came to a mountain range. He climbed to the top of the range, looked across the glacier and saw animal life and sea life. He thought, “I will climb down this mountain, crawl across the ice of that glacier and I'll climb the other mountain range."

But then another thought took hold of him. “No, that's not necessary, I'm still a young man.  I'll come back another day to climb the next mountain.”  But the years passed and Hillary never got back to Antarctica. 

The lesson for leaders is this.  In every person's life there are two seasons. There is a season when time and energy work for us and there is a season when time and energy work against us. I have learned, over the years, that there is never an ideal time to begin a great work.  The choices are NOW and LATER.  Leaders are made to take action. Whatever you've decided to do, don’t procrastinate, take action and do it now.

Hospitably, 
Fred Cerrone

Tools of a Leader: Communication

Author, speaker and leadership guru John Maxwell defines leadership as influence. If that is the case, I believe communication is the “WD-40” of leadership.  Simply put, if you don’t communicate effectively, it is difficult to lead effectively.

I don’t think anyone starts a new job or begins a new task without having the intention to be successful. If they fail, it is often because expectations were not communicated clearly.

We have all experienced leaders who did not communicate effectively. They are hard to read and difficult to please since their unclear or irregular messaging leaves us in doubt and uncertain as to how to help them be successful.

The root of the word communicate is commune, meaning to come together.  As leaders, our goal should be to help our people become successful, contributing team members. Good communications, or the effective use of words, does just that.

George Bernard Shaw, a writer and a co-founder of the London School of Economics, said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.“

Good communication is especially critical in the workplace.  Even today, with the myriad of communication devices and their multiple applications available at our fingertips, we often fail to communicate properly. My iPhone sometimes has a mind of its own and communicates unintended messages. I have a friend who mistakenly communicated the following email to an important client. He was trying to say, “Sounds like you are stuck and need help”. The message his iPhone sent was, “You suck and need help”.

There’s a good chance that at some point in your career you will be accused of either under or over communicating.  To my knowledge, no team has ever been defeated because the leader over communicated. On the other hand, the reverse has caused the defeat of many a good team.

Strive for a good balance, but if you are ever in doubt, over communicate.

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Are You Herding Cats?

I have to admit that I’m more of a dog person, but the fact remains that leadership can sometimes mirror an image of herding cats. 

You’ve seen the examples.  Each group member is pursuing his/her own agenda or goal.  Associates are competing with each other instead of working as a team. Team members aren’t communicating. Morale is not great and turnover is higher than it should be.   What to do?

Cast a clear vision.  Paint a picture of your desired outcome and the benefits of its successful achievement to inspire and engage an enthusiastic team. 

Next, bring everyone to the same page and direct all efforts to the vision by aligning goals and objectives.  Allow team members to give input to secure their buy-in.  Participants achieve a sense of ownership when they are given a voice and allowed to provide ideas and strategies.

Finally, guard against the possibility of vision leakage.  Use a variety of methods to keep the team focused and motivated.  Restate and reinforce the vision frequently to keep it relevant, fresh and top of mind.

Lead on!

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Make a Difference!

Growing up in Boston as a boy, my parents were divorced when I was five years old. I lived with my mother, but my grandfather served as an important mentor. He taught me the importance of having a good work ethic and that people mattered more than material things. He encouraged me to make a difference in life and to use my career choice as a means to impact people. Although he worked as a janitor of an elementary school, he taught me that my work is as important as I would allow it to be.
When I founded Hotel Equities in 1989, I made it a point to heed his advice and make his legacy a part of our defining culture statement: A legendary lodging company making a distinct difference in people’s lives.
At our hotels, we greet weary travelers and provide crisp, clean accommodations in a friendly and safe environment every day. 
However, we should never underestimate the impact our work or our smile can make. I believe that opportunities to impact others abound in our lives.  And remember, when you make a difference in the life of someone else, it can’t help but make a difference in your life, too!

Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone

Let it Go

Learning to delegate is one of the most difficult initial steps in becoming an effective leader. I, too, have found it difficult at times to let go of things that I thought I could do myself, better than anyone else.  Over time, I have learned that I have to let go in order to grow both personally and as an organization.
If you are a leader, you probably believe you know what needs to be done and the best way to do it.  However, at some point in the leadership journey, we have to come to grips with the reality that we cannot do it all by ourselves.  At this point, we have a critical choice to make.  Either delegate the task and become a more effective leader, or hold on to the task and possibly restrict the growth of our associates, our company and ourselves.
The key to success as a leader is finding the proper mix of delegation and accountability.  Here is what I’ve found to be a winning formula for leading a high impact team: [1] hire well, [2] on-board and teach job specifics well, [3] provide the proper tools and equipment, and [4] inspect what you expect for best results.
All effective leaders find satisfaction in helping people grow; now we need to learn to let it go.

 

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone

Building the Future

Two years ago, I was in Miami on business but had the opportunity to visit Miami Beach as well as Coral Gables.  I was struck by how vibrant a metropolis Miami has become.  When I worked there in the early to mid-1970’s, it had a similar feel but on a much smaller scale.  The hotel where I worked was the tallest building in Miami at 22 stories.   Now, it is dwarfed by office buildings, condominiums and hotels nearly twice that height.

In 1972, Miami hosted both the Republican and the Democratic national conventions. My hotel was headquarters for all candidates for both parties including Republicans Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew and Democrats Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, George McGovern and Thomas Eagleton, later replaced on the ballot by Sargent Shriver.  That year, the Miami Dolphins became the only NFL team to go undefeated for an entire season.  The city seemed to be at the top of its game and I thought it was the best of times.  Little did I know what the future would bring for Miami or for me.

In late December, Hotel Equities executed a franchise agreement to develop a new construction, $52-million Residence Inn by Marriott in Miami Beach/Surfside.  Our partnership through Hotel Development Partners is building a beautiful 175-room resort-style hotel directly across from the beach.  We broke ground in February and are scheduled to open in 2015.

These are exciting times for Miami, Miami Beach and most especially for Hotel Equities.

 

Hospitably,

Fred Cerrone