LESSONS LEARNED EDITORIAL 757 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017 Editor-in-Chief —David Eisen deisen@questex.com | (212) 895-8436 Managing Editor —Elaine Yetzer Simon esimon@questex.com | (212) 895-8431 Associate Editor —C. Elliott Mest emest@questex.com | (212) 895-8288 Associate Editor —Jena Tesse Fox jfox@questex.com | (212) 895-8287 Art Director —Amy B. Witek awitek@questex.com | (440) 879-8299 Getting ahead — and staying there BY CHRISTOPHER J . NASSE T TA | HM C OLUMNIST ADVERTISING/SALES/CIRCULATION Group Publisher —Amy B. Vaxman avaxman@questex.com | (609) 257-3412 | Fax: (609) 257-0980 Associate Publisher, Director Business Development, East Coast Brian Levine blevine@questex.com | (212) 895-8285 | Fax: (917) 591-5454 Director Business Development, Canada, Midwest, West Coast Cynthia Zucker czucker@questex.com | (732) 845-0011 | Fax: (732) 358-0390 Director Business Development Mary Malloy mmalloy@questex.com | (216) 402-9467 Digital Development and Classified Manager Neil Hochman nhochman@questex.com | (212) 895-8227 | Fax: (212) 895-8219 Audience Development Manager Deborah Gullian | dgullian@questex.com PRODUCTION Production Technology Manager —Jamie Kleist jamie.kleist@superiormediasolutions.net | (218) 206-2107 Production Specialist —Tina Marie Nielsen tinamarie.nielsen@superiormediasolutions.net | (856) 396-9276 MARKETING/MAGAZINE SERVICES Marketing Coordinator —Samantha Seib sseib@questex.com | (212)-895-8280 List Rental – MeritDirect LLC —Anthony Carraturo ac@meritdirect.com | (914) 368-1083 Permissions/Reprints — Wright’s Media | (877) 652-5295 Subscriptions, Customer Service, Back Issues, Single Current Copies hotelmanagement@halldata.com | Toll Free: (866) 344-1315 Intl: (847) 763-9594 President & CEO —Kerry C. Gumas Executive V.P. & CFO —Tom Caridi Chief Digital Officer —Steve Kurtz Executive V.P. —Alexi Khajavi Printed in USA Cover image © Maksim Pasko / Dollar Photo Club hanks to Hilton’s incredible team around the world, I still wake up every day inspired to go to work after more than 30 years in this business. Our industry has never been more dynamic than it is today—with more travelers passing through our hotels than ever before, and game-changing brands, technology and offerings making travel even more exciting. Here are a few lessons that I’ve picked up along the way, and that I’ve been very fortunate to have mentors and colleagues share with me over the years. Work your way up, and always stay humble. Christopher J. Nassetta is president From a young age, my father taught me that the best & CEO, Hilton Worldwide. way to learn about any industry is to spend time on the front lines. Starting out in a hotel engineering department helped me understand the day-to-day operations of our business, and the insights I gained have shaped many decisions throughout my career. My father also taught me you will always need humility and a strong work ethic to keep you grounded. Embrace diversity. In our increasingly connected world, diversity and inclusion are essential for success. It’s very important to explore ideas outside your comfort zone and embrace wide-ranging views. By surrounding yourself with people with different perspectives, thoughts and backgrounds, you will be much better equipped to take advantage of opportunities and deal with adversity. Trust your team. The most effective leaders recognize that they cannot—and should not—be involved in all the day-to-day workings of the business. By empowering the individuals who have the most knowledge and information to act as decision makers, you will be able to stay focused on the bigger picture. It will also help to develop members of your team into strong leaders. Celebrate your wins. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team. By taking time to celebrate even the small wins, you and your team will stay motivated and confident as you tackle the bigger and more complicated challenges ahead. Engage the next generation. Nearly 290 million young people are looking for work. As the world’s largest employer, the travel-and-tourism industry is in a unique position to create new jobs and give youth the opportunities they need to succeed in today’s complex marketplace. As often as you can, engage the next generation of young adults—the long-term success of our industry depends on them. Stay focused on the future. As successful as you may be today, you can never forget about where you want to be tomorrow. It’s important to always look ahead and anticipate what is next so that you can adapt quickly, even when your plan goes off course. Commit to the destination you want to reach, and make every decision with that end goal in mind. hm@questex.com T HotelManagement.net October 21, 2015 HMYP Supplement 3
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