Read an Excerpt: From an Interview With the Co-Founder and Former President/CEO of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Horst Schulze
Gravitude by Mark Bowling is an exciting new think piece that demonstrates how leaders can cultivate gratitude to inspire excellence, innovation, and connection in the workplace. In today’s blog, we are highlighting Chapter 10, during which Mark introduces and interviews Horst Schulze, co-founder and longtime President/CEO of the Ritz Carlton brand. Horst’s thoughtful responses cover lots of rich terrain, including creating a big goal that extends to every level of an organization, how leadership can shape a grateful environment, and why the practice of placing trust in your employees is a gamechanger.
Continue reading to learn more about Horst and read an excerpt from his Q&A in the book!
Meet Horst Schulze
Horst Schulze is a legendary figure in the hospitality industry and a champion of service excellence. As the co-founder, President, and CEO of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company from 1983 to 2002, he led the company to global acclaim, overseeing a $2 billion operation and earning the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award twice. After leaving Ritz Carlton, Schulze founded The Capella Hotel Group, which was named the “No. 1 Best Hotel Brand in the World” by Travel + Leisure. Today, he continues to influence industries as an author, speaker, and educator. Horst has shared his expertise through his acclaimed book Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise and his comprehensive Master Class on exceptional leadership.
In Chapter 10 of Gravitude, Horst responds to Mark’s series of questions on gravitude. He gives readers not only fascinating insight into the success of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, but also versatile tips they can leverage at their own brand–whether luxury, casual, or anything in between.
Read an Excerpt by Horst Schulze
“Q: One of the Six Pillars to Cultivating Gratitude at scale is creating a big goal, a dream worth chasing. How has this worked in practice for you?
A: The greatest gift you can give employees is a real mission with a big purpose. That purpose at The Ritz Carlton Company was: “In 15 years, we'll be the leader in the hotel world.” This was my vision before we even had a single hotel. Everything we did was to get to that objective.
But then I had to ask myself as a leader, “Is this goal good for all concerned? Is it good for the investors? Is it good for every employee? Is it good for every guest? Is it good for society?” I thought, ‘if the answer to these questions is yes, then all parties have no more right to compromise.’
That also meant sometimes love had to take the form of “tough love.” Look. I love everybody. But if something is out of place, I'm going to say, “Hey, pick it up from the floor, friends. If you just walk by and do nothing, that's unacceptable. Do you understand?”
Because I wanted to ensure my people were learning, I didn't just say, “Pick it up.” I made sure they understood I wanted to change their behavior. So, in my way, I wanted to help others. I didn’t just want them to feel good—to love me. I wanted them to succeed, period.”
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To read the full Q&A with Horst Schulze, and learn more about how cultivating gratitude and inspiring excellence are connected at the Ritz Carlton, purchase Gravitude by Mark Bowling today. His wise words, alongside a variety of voices from other thought leaders, are your guidebook to cultivating a healthier, happier workplace where employees at every level feel appreciated by their company’s leadership–and vice versa. Don’t wait to discover the inspiring stories and new insights in Gravitude!
If your organizational culture is an example of Gravitude in action, please contact me. I would like to feature your story in future blog posts.
Gravitude can be found wherever books are sold! My favorites are:
Barnes & Noble (still love to support the brick and mortar)
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