Insight 01: Why hotels rarely fail because of strategy and almost always because of leadership
Hotels rarely lack strategy. Almost every organisation plans, roadmaps, and KPI structures in place. Yet many hotel organizations get stuck in times of growth, transition, or pressure. This article explores why it is not strategy, but leadership that is leadership the determining factor in restoring calm, direction momentum.
Strategy is rarely the problem
In most hotel organizations where change is needed, the strategic intent is clear. The direction set, objectives have been formulated, and expectations have been expressed. On paper, the story makes sense.
However, in daily practice, noise often arises. Teams understand the strategy, but find it difficult to translate it into their daily work. Priorities shift, desicion-making across multiple lines, and the sense of cohesion diminishes.
What is lacking is rarely ambition.
What is lacking is leadership clarifies choices and makes direction .
When strategy becomes strategy
In periods of growth, restructuring, or repositioning, complexity increases. New layers, additional consultation structures, and accelerated desicion-making strategy to become strategy abstract.
Common patterns are:
multiple priorities simultaneously
unclear ownership
limited space for teams to process changes
The result is movement without direction. Activity without coherence. Strategy changes from a guiding principle to background noise.
What does work in practice
Effective leadership hospitality does not begin with refining plans, but with slowing down. With listening. With making explicit what remains and what changes.
Leadership that works:
brings calm desicion-making
makes responsibilities explicit
combines humanity with sharpness
Not by increasing control, but by making direction and consistent.
Best practices from the sector
Within hotel organizations that successfully navigate complex transitions, leadership is approachable and attentive is essential. Organizations that take the time to explain choices and involve teams in understanding priorities experience less resistance and greater alignment.
Not because everyone agrees, but because cohesion is restored. Strategy only becomes meaningful when it is supported by operations.
Closing
Strategy determines the direction paper.
Leadership determines whether people direction follow that direction .
That's where the difference between making plans and actually moving forward comes in.
Further reflection
A Practice Insight from a leadership perspective:
The Practice Insight below is a separate reflection. While the article describes the broader context and best practices, this box focuses on my perspective as a leader and how listening, choices, and direction come together direction practice.
From practice
Perspective & leadership lens
Context
When hotel organizations are under pressure, the reflex is often to accelerate. Strategies are refined, structures are adjusted, and expectations are raised.
What is really going on
Teams rarely experience resistance to change, but rather uncertainty about direction desicion-making. It's not the what, but the how that's missing.
The conscious choice
Leadership starts here with listening. Not to seek consensus, but to recognize patterns and reveal areas of tension.
The intervention
By limiting priorities, making ownership explicit, and desicion-making , clarity is created without adding complexity.
The effect
Calm, focus, and trust . Teams dare to take responsibility.
Insight
Leadership that begins with listening ultimately accelerates movement.
This insight is part of an ongoing reflection on leadership, operations transformation hospitality. The perspectives are based on practical experience, shaped by listening and focused on bringing clarity back to complex organizations.
About the author:
Ingmar Sloothaak works with hotel organizations undergoing transition, growth, or change. His work combines people-oriented leadership operational and commercial clarity, supporting teams and leadership structures when stability, movement, or direction is direction .