The Key to the future lies in redefining business models

As the head of Corporate Communications and Brand, I have to be able to disseminate all developments and news about Lemon Tree Hotels in a timely manner, comprehensively and through the right medium. To ensure we do this well, it takes coordination between us and Digital or Operations or Finance or Human Resource or Development or Sales team and a forward-looking plan.

Collaborative Leadership

I always adopt an open communication style with team members, peers and other colleagues. To get a job done well, it takes a certain candidness and placing of faith in your team without which you will end up doing everything yourself and in isolation. The best way to operate as a leader is to set a goal (for a task, for the year), define it clearly, brief the team on what each person’s role is and then allow them to function freely and bring their best to the table. A collaborative leadership approach wins.

It is the ability to connect with people easily and the EQ that helps a marketer listen to consumers, draw insight, take action and deliver the desired impact. I believe these are the traits that enable me to perform my role successfully.

Oddly, I have never really faced an issue on account of being a woman in this competitive industry. It is how we present ourselves and conduct ourselves in our professional space. My view is that leadership and growth is gender agnostic and depends entirely on your background, skills and a continuous self-learning process, how engaged you are with the role and the brand, and how effectively you deliver results. 

Role Models

Thinking about idolised personalities, Sheryl Sandberg comes to my mind first for her grit, vision and ability to lead a large team. Most importantly, I admire her strength to convert a personal tragedy into an opportunity for self-growth and support to many people (facing grief) around the world.

Akshay Kumar is also another role model for me. His ability to keep himself relevant, and very profitable, to his craft (cinema); his unwavering focus on fitness and health, his style and ability to engage with audiences on any medium, and his most endearing trait of seeking out a real issue in the country and actively working on it and implementing a solution are admirable. 

Redefining Business

The recent global pandemic has been a rough time for society and people and a very challenging time for businesses. What is staring us in the face is that it is not yet over, and the future is uncertain. With this backdrop, I would say the key to the future lies in redefining business models, no matter what your industry, and finding revenue streams for your brand in the future that may not exist today. Human behaviour and decision making are undergoing a major metamorphosis and with this change, brands must change too. Being agile is the only trend we need to focus on.

As part of my Sustainability role, over the last eight years, I have been a part of the growth and expansion of our inclusion policy i.e. hiring people from Opportunity Deprived backgrounds including Employees with Disability and Employees from Economically/Socially marginalised segments. In these few years, in addition to hiring people with Speech and Hearing Impairment, Orthopaedic Impairment or Low Vision, we now also hire people with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (Down Syndrome, Mild MR, Slow Learner) or Autism and then Acid Survivors. Our efforts have grown the numbers of these employees and the width of inclusion across departments. This has helped establish Lemon Tree Hotels as a leader in Diversity and Inclusion and there has been a great demand for best practice sharing - from other companies, organizations and even government departments, within India and abroad – of which I am an active part and lead the piece.

From a Communications perspective, Lemon Tree has built goodwill with the media across business channels, publications and online channels. Our company is called upon to offer subject matter expertise in the mid-market hotel segment/business model; Indian hotels growth story; as a young and growing Indian organization; running a business based on a Sustainability focus as well as a fresh, fun and spirited brand. This has been an active part of my role.

Just Do It

For all aspiring women marketeers, I would borrow the slogan from Nike, “Just do it.” By this I mean, everywhere you go… observe, listen and understand how consumers behave; what drives their choices; what causes them to change their choice of brand; how are brands innovating and delivering more value to consumers. It is this passion and focus that will make you a great Marketing Communication professional.

As we chase new dreams and desires, the best way to get there is to reinvent yourself and evolve with the changing environment… as a brand, as a hotel company and as an individual.