Signing Off…

As my final blog post, I decided to use this time to reflect on the information I have learned throughout this semester in Professor Sipe’s Leadership and Self Development in Hospitality (HTM 491) class. Prior to this class, I had little to no knowledge of the history behind leadership and leadership theories. Throughout my past work experience, I have filled very few leadership roles – the most prominent being my role as a Sales Supervisor at As You Wish Pottery where I supervised the paint studio and about five employees at any given time. Now that I am graduating from San Diego State University and hoping to secure a full-time position in the Hospitality industry, the quality of effective leadership is seeming more critical than ever.

Throughout this class, I have learned various theories and forms of leadership from Great Man Theory to Servant Leadership. Aside from gaining a better overall understanding of the thought and energy that goes into effective leadership, as well as the various styles that leaders embody, I have been able to take pieces from multiple theories and created a leadership style of my own. The leadership theories that I related to the most throughout this semester are Positive Leadership, Authentic Leadership, and Situational Leadership. I believe that the attitude of followers comes from the top, and if the leader has a pessimistic/negative attitude, so will the followers. I also believe that followers are smart, valuable people who will be able to tell if a leader is not being authentic. In order to gain the trust and respect of their followers, it is important for a leader to be honest and true to themselves. Lastly, I believe that different circumstances call for different styles of leadership, and a successful leader has the ability to alter their style of leadership to be effective for the given situation and group of followers. 

The information and understanding that I gained from this class has already proven valuable, outside of San Diego State University. I had a phone interview last week for a seasonal Dining Room Assistant Manager position at the Glacier National Park Collection by Pursuit. I am extremely excited about this opportunity – living in a national park for an entire summer and gaining valuable leadership experience. During the phone interview, the recruitment manager asked me what my leadership style would be if I were to get the job. As mentioned previously, I have had very little leadership experience outside of a classroom setting and knew practically nothing about leadership theories prior to taking this class. Fortunately, in response to his question, I was able to tell the interviewer about my experience in this Leadership and Self Development in Hospitality class and how I have managed to create my own leadership style based on some of the leadership theories I have learned throughout the semester. If I had never taken this class, I would have had an uneducated, unspecified answer for the recruitment manager, and possibly ruined my chances of getting hired for this position. I have seen myself evolve both professionally and personally in this class, and I am excited to take what I have learned in the classroom into the real world of Hospitality Management.