We overestimate big moments in leadership. And completely underestimate repetition. In my world, teams don’t fall apart overnight. They drift. Not because people lack skill. But because leadership becomes occasional. You see it in small ways. A manager who used to listen… now interrupts. A leader who once coached… now only corrects. A team that once felt seen… now just feels managed. Nothing dramatic. But everything changes. The truth is — leadership is not tested in crises.

I learned this lesson much later in my career. Early on, I thought strong leaders were the ones who spoke the most, corrected the fastest, and controlled every situation. Hospitality teaches you otherwise. On a cruise ship, a restaurant during peak service is chaos. Hundreds of guests. Twenty nationalities in the team. Everyone moving fast. I once saw a young manager publicly scold a steward for a mistake in front of guests. He believed he was “taking charge.” What actually h

Something years in hospitality and cruise operations have taught me. Not every leadership moment comes with a manual. Some situations just arrive…and you respond with instinct. I remember one sailing from New York. Manhattan homeport. Bermuda itinerary. Weather had suddenly turned rough and forecasts said it could get worse. Sailing was delayed by 24 hours and the Bermuda run itself was uncertain. It could easily have turned into Canada or New England instead. Guests were ups

Leadership isn’t revealed in big moments. It shows up in small ones. I was reminded of this by my own mistake. I had just concluded a session on guest sensitivity and being present in the moment with the gift shop team. The energy was light, the conversations were open, and the session landed well. Later that same evening, a crew member from the same team came to my office. He had missed signing the attendance sheet. I was deeply engrossed in administrative work, distracted a