Playing the Infinite Game

How do you lead and inspire people to stay engaged in their work, to bring their best selves and consistently contribute to your team’s purpose with enthusiasm and initiative? How do you stay fulfilled and constantly improving as you’re doing all of that? Author, motivational speaker, and leadership guru Simon Sinek has an answer, and … Continue reading Playing the Infinite Game →

A Successful Process for Conflict Resolution

Individuals in conflict with one another each carry into it a complex mix of personal history, biases, fears, and needs. They are also the only ones that know exactly what transpired from the beginning of the conflict to the moment it was identified for resolution. Each needs to be able to express their perspective honestly, … Continue reading A Successful Process for Conflict Resolution →

What Does Successful Conflict Resolution Look Like?

If you manage or lead other people, it’s worth the effort to build up your conflict resolution tool box. Chances are that several times throughout a workday, you’ll discover conflicts, some will be brought to you, and you may even become aware that you’ve caused a few. However they get identified, once they’re in your … Continue reading What Does Successful Conflict Resolution Look Like? →

Want to Grow as a Leader? Here’s One Way to Ask Your Team For the Feedback You’ll Need.

As a leader, everyone on your team has created an impression of who you are and how you operate. Some of it is based on their own experience, some of it is based on rumor, all of it is subject to their unique perception. Whether the picture being painted is rosy or thorny, true or … Continue reading Want to Grow as a Leader? Here’s One Way to Ask Your Team For the Feedback You’ll Need. →

That Time When You Know You Should Go Out and Get Feedback, Yet You Don’t.

In our lives we often know what is “good for us,” and yet we don’t do it. Eating healthy. Getting enough sleep. Disconnecting with our phone and connecting with loved ones instead. As a leader, you may know it is “good for you” to go out and get feedback from your team - sustaining a … Continue reading That Time When You Know You Should Go Out and Get Feedback, Yet You Don’t. →

3 Ways to Get On the Same Page

“Get on the Same Page” is Vestalia Hospitality's second leadership essential, and we want to get on the same page with you about why it's so important. Here's what it says: Why this? Increasing your mastery of this skill increases your ability to harness the power of mutual understanding which: busts up judgements, assumptions, … Continue reading 3 Ways to Get On the Same Page →

Author Daniel Coyle on the Power of Connection and Belonging Cues

Daniel Coyle's book The Culture Code shot up to my #1 recommended book for all people who have to work with other people (especially leaders) the minute I put down the first chapter. It's filled with entertaining and thought-provoking stories of teams - PIXAR, Navy Seals, Upright Citizens Brigade, Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality, jewel … Continue reading Author Daniel Coyle on the Power of Connection and Belonging Cues →

The Human Need for Connection

"Connect With People Frequently" is the first of Vestalia's five Leadership Essentials. Taking the time to sustain a relationship with your team members where you both feel acknowledged, supported, encouraged, and celebrated as individuals doesn't just satisfy organizational goals, it fulfills basic and intense human needs built into our very DNA. In the following article, … Continue reading The Human Need for Connection →

Connect With People Frequently

In 2015, Vestalia Hospitality (we weren't called that then) officially adopted a leadership style and model that we continue to live into everyday. The style is shared, facilitative leadership.* The model highlights seven concepts that weave together brilliantly to make shared, facilitative leadership possible: Power, Communication, Environment, Collaboration, Accountability, Mindsight, and Personal Mastery. There are … Continue reading Connect With People Frequently →

Collaborating to Shape Team Culture

I'm always curious about how teams create their own culture and how they can affect change to it from within. While drumming up ideas surrounding collaboration for this month's article series, I couldn't help but recall one particular exercise from last year that illuminated a fun way to get teams to take a look at … Continue reading Collaborating to Shape Team Culture →