Personal leadership - Essay Example

One of the most notable things about this individual was how they learned to lead. While a handful of managers at the restaurant had experience in hospitality management from formal training, this particular manager had learned his management skills from on the job work. In these regards, his skill-set stood out slightly from managers that had the formal background and in some instances one could detect a slight sense of superiority from those that had actually gone through formal schooling. Instead, this manager had begun his career as a host in one of the less populated restaurants, and later moved to serving.

As he succeeded at these positions upper level management soon offered him a managerial position at that particular restaurant; after succeeding at this restaurant he transferred to the larger restaurant, where I came into contact with him. Consider this brief background account, it’s clear that the individual developed their leadership and managerial skills from in-house interactions and personal life experience rather than formal training. In examining his leadership skills this was evident as there seemed to be a greater level of understanding, efficiency, and empathy with the employees and business practices than the managers that predominantly had formal training.

In terms of defining leadership there are a number of issues that must be considered in relation to this individual’s philosophy. While some my disregard the insight that can be gleamed from the perspective of a restaurant manager, this paper argues that in actuality this perspective is highly relevant to nearly all forms of business as it consists of a combination of a variety of class understandings. For instance, the restaurant provides a solid combination of lower, middle, and upper class patrons that must be considered and negotiated with; there is also a highly diverse workforce, with different ages and nationalities that must be managed.

In these respects the position demands a highly malleable individual. In terms of this man’s leadership philosophy it was clear that he adopted a policy of mutual respect for employees. He treated all individuals equitably and had a general understanding demeanor. If there were any specific leadership philosophies embodied in his approach I believe they would generally be linked to this element as a base factor. Extending beyond the equitable treatment of employees and customers there were a number of elements within his treatment of employees that were highly notable.

In terms of new employees he was understanding and open, allowing them to develop in a constructive and not overly critical way. In terms of experienced employees his approach was one wherein rather than having to demand respect through professional rank, he gained respect by being a reliable and efficient employee. In very few instances was there employee disrespect, as the general consensus in regards to his leadership approach was positive. In achieving this level of respect it was clear that it was accomplished through his daily actions.

For example, he always showed up for work on time and was highly efficient in terms of restaurant tasks. One such skill was his ability to route food orders to the specific waiters and ensure the food arrived at the table in a timely way. Another skill was being able to speak with all customers on a level that made them feel comfortable with his