There are many educational approaches to grooming potential leaders among hotel staff as well as further developing existing leaders, and one of the more unique methods comes from Valencia Hotel Group. Coming out of COVID, the company started a book club as part of its weekly call for general managers and corporate directors. “Then we realized that everybody wanted to be a part of it,” related Trent Freeman, VP of operations. “So now, anybody in the company is welcome to participate, and the biggest buy-in we see is from people that are aspiring to be better leaders.”
In addition to building leadership skills, the book club fosters engagement with the company and camaraderie among associates. “We have found that the books that are either in fable format or speak from a personal point of view based on personal experience help keep everyone engaged and excited about what we are learning together,” he explained.
Freeman provides his personal top 10 books from the club, in no particular order:
Excellence Wins, by Horst Schulze
The Servant, by James C. Hunter
The Leader Who Had No Title, by Robin Sharma
Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara
The Power of Positive Leadership, by Jon Gordon
The Ideal Team Player, by Patrick Lencioni
It’s Your Ship, by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, by Admiral William H. McRaven
Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Growing Influence, by Ron Price and Stacy Ennis GS
