Energizing and elevating the brand

Travel and Tourism is a critical sector of our economy contributing 9.2 per cent to India’s GDP and 8.1 per cent employment. The sector has immense possibilities with an increase in demand on the back of growing disposable income, the advent of technology, emerging consumer trends, and enhanced connectivity. It is one sector where agility, intuitiveness, financial acumen, analytical approach augmented with a keen sense of consumer and on-ground trends can create compelling differentiators.

A game-changer market would be the secondary and tertiary tiered markets as connectivity and abundance of information increases. That will fuel the real growth in our industry. 

LEADERSHIP STYLE

Experiencing a roller-coaster ride with great learning experiences, I have traversed from Luxury Hotels (Taj Group of Hotels) to Aviation (Kingfisher Airlines) and now Mid-Market Hotels with great enthusiasm.

It did have its fair share of stumbling blocks but it also made me a whole professional with an unconventional approach to complexity and running a business. I am an evangelist of mentorship, it has always helped me to become a better version of myself.

My effort has always been focussed on two aspects: energizing and elevating the brand. I believe the core strengths that I embrace are handling complex situations, creating brand equity, motivating the team, and leveraging technology to improve revenue, customer experience, and to reduce cost.

I am a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO) and serve on the board of Raymond Apparel Limited as an independent director.

THE JOURNEY

In a lighter vein, if the debacle of Kingfisher Airlines was not enough, when I was nearing forty my mentor persuaded me to go back to school. I appreciated the lacunae arising out of limited academic-based knowledge and so here came business school.

Truth be told, I was a fish out of water, so overwhelming! You know, there are these books....’ XYZ for Dummies’... Well, I must have bought one on every subject in the syllabus!!!

One of the days that I was sharing my plight with my mentor, he retorted in his impeccable nonchalant manner, “Well, now you know what you were lacking. Do not forget what you are great at and what more you have to achieve. Focus, stay open-minded, stop whining and get cracking”.  And I have never looked back.

With that said, it’s good to put yourself in hot water sometimes and see what you are made of. I believe it is important to have a well-defined sense of identity and worth. As long as courage, kindness, and grace are your companions, life is good. 

CHALLENGES

If all of that feels like saccharine, here are some hard truths. Research from Glassdoor states that women negotiated their pay less often than their male counterparts. The poll found nearly 70 per cent of women accepted the salary they were offered without negotiating, while only 52 per cent of men did the same. While our industry currently lags behind in gender diversity, the tide is gradually turning.

Let’s look at the likability dilemma where women leadership is concerned, what is really going on is that high-achieving women experience social backlash because of their very success – and specifically, the behaviours that created that success – violates our expectations about how women are supposed to behave. It’s a belief that women can’t be competent and likeable at the same time. It is negatively correlated. 

I would imagine that these glorious, accomplished women sought self-validation a few times. ‘Do I belong here’ may have popped in by force or design. Chances of facing gender disparity are high. One may not like it, but these are the cards that you are holding, so play them well. Own the room because it is yours to take. So I urge women to not get paralyzed by own perfectionist tendencies or others’ perception of you. Don’t be too hard on yourselves, ladies. 

WORD OF WISDOM

In all of this, one of my strong beliefs is about having cognitive diversity. Surround yourselves with strong people who contribute to you and themselves. I often recommend reflection when you get really stuck. It might be a short pause, a few deep breaths or a longer activity like a walk or just kick-boxing!