Leadership styles are based on the behavioral approach of the leaders and how they influence, direct, or motivate their followers (Bhatti et al., 2021). Effective leadership is a key to hospitality management’s ability to overcome the pressures of the rapidly evolving industry. This paper looks into whether democratic, transformational, servant and situational leadership styles are suitable tools for hospitality leadership. There are benefits as well as variations that come along with each leadership style, and the chosen style is dependent on the situation of the hospitality industry.
Transformational leadership is an essential element for developing the hospitality sector by creating opportunities for development and innovation. According to Atan and Mahmood (2019), transformational leaders significantly increase organizational performance by utilizing their inspiration and motivation abilities. In hospitality, where continuous improvement is significant, this leadership style works by instilling a true feeling of meaning and devotion among staff. As (Arkat., 2020) points out, transformational leaders are characterized by charisma, vision, and the capacity to communicate clearly. The visionary leadership of these leaders generates an organization’s collective sense of direction and makes subordinates share a common goal. Service-oriented industries such as hospitality, where guest experiences play such a vital role, depend very much on how they can motivate and fully engage their workforce. Transformational leadership affects, to a great extent, not only motivation but also changes the organization’s culture and creates a desirable “environment for the implementation of innovative ideas. Through the deeds of overshooting one’s limitations, transformational leaders set the culture whereby employees are appreciated for their creative ideas and encouraged to keep changing (Rahmatullah et al. 2022). Being in an industry where being ahead of trends and nurturing relationships with guests matter the most will enable the establishment to maintain its success over the long run.
On the one hand, there are doubts that one-size-fits-all approaches can neglect differences in learning socialization, as well as the difficulty of meeting short deadlines (Bastari et al., 2021). Team members may sometimes fail to learn effectively, not because the challenge and stress are lacking but because the pressure to perform all the time is so high that the employees need more individual guidance and support that would allow them to use their full potential. When the field is highly competitive, and deadlines closely structure the environment, this tactic can prove to be counterproductive by leading to increased stress and blunders for some of the team members.
Servant leadership’s emphasis on putting a priority on the needs of the team is consistent with making the culture of the hospitality industry positive. Najam and Mustamil (2020) argue that servant leadership contributes to ethical organizations with a robust value system. In a service industry industry where customer trust is vital, servant leadership can improve employee morale and consequently lead to a better service process. The basic idea of servant leadership is to give priority to the needs of the team members, as leaders implement strategies aiming to assist the followers they lead rather than caring for their interests personally. In hospitality management, this is the way to implement a positive culture in the company. It is the culture that prioritizes collaboration, empathy, and the commitment of all members to achieving outstanding results. Directing the interest of the employees to their internal needs and development of employees creates a conducive environment of not only work but also high morale and job satisfaction. The ethical environments area is more relevant in the hotel business, where one should always maintain its namesake of integrity as a cornerstone. According to servant leadership as represented by Hai & Van (2021) then, these leaders are very vital in the creation of a working environment whose priority is integrity, fairness, and ethical decision-making. Ethical principles creation of the internal dynamics of the organization is not only a way of giving the organization direction but also ensuring that customers are at ease at all costs, an important aspect that improves the position of the organization in the sector.
Nevertheless, the literature also warns that fast-paced and high-velocity contexts may present obstacles to the implementation of the servant leadership approach (Xie et al., 2020). In time-sensitive and highly intense circumstances, a team culture where individuals give in to the team’s needs may not support immediate and definite responses. Moreover, the focus on service members could come across as an appearance of lack of assurance that might undermine competitiveness.
Given the customer-centric nature of the hospitality management sector, democratic leadership’s collaborative decision-making is essential (Anggraeni & Sumartik., 2023). Workers in the hospitality sector benefit from democratic leadership in terms of innovation, involvement, and high work satisfaction. By allowing a varied range of team members to participate in decision-making, the participative method fosters creative problem-solving and better customer service. Overall, staff morale is raised by this method, which fits in nicely with the cooperative and customer-focused hospitality culture. Study results, however, warn against the possibility of time-consuming c consensus-building and emphasize the necessity for balance under hectic circumstances ((Hilton et al., 2021).
The flexibility of situational leadership fits very nicely with the changing needs of the hospitality industry. A highly relevant and successful strategy in the ever-changing and varied field of hospitality management is situational leadership. Situational leadership’s flexibility fits in perfectly with the hospitality industry’s constant change. The claim made by Ridlwan et al. (2021) that leaders should modify their approaches according to the skill and confidence of their team members highlights the significance of a flexible and contextually aware leadership style in this sector. The problems faced by hotel managers are diverse and include anything from handling operational complexity to meeting guest requirements and guaranteeing service excellence. According to Hoang et al. (2021), situational leadership acknowledges the need for leaders to adapt to these various difficulties by providing a framework that enables customized leadership actions based on the particular circumstances at hand. This adaptability is critical in a field where success depends on one’s capacity to handle a variety of situations. Situational leadership in hotel management has limitations, even with its flexibility. Changing up your leadership style frequently might result in consistency and clarity among your team. Continuous evaluation and decision-making may be necessary, which might take time and affect operational effectiveness in a sector that moves quickly. Moreover, leaders need to pay more attention to the circumstances and the proficiency of the team in order to use efficient tactics. In order to effectively assess the demands of the team, leaders using this style must also have a high level of emotional intelligence, which may only sometimes be possible (Nurani et al., 2021).
The best leadership approach for hospitality management is transformational leadership, as it may boost the performance, inventiveness, and competitiveness of the hotel while instilling a feeling of purpose, dedication, and excitement in both the staff and the visitors. The dynamic character of the hotel business is well aligned with the transformational leadership’s emphasis on innovation and continual development. Transformational leadership is the best approach for guiding hotels toward long-term success in this challenging and constantly changing industry because it creates a positive organizational culture and inspires enthusiasm, all of which boost performance, service excellence, and competitiveness (Rahmatullah et al., 2022).
In conclusion, the study of leadership styles in hotel management shows that every style has specific benefits and things to keep in mind. The best option turns out to be transformational leadership, which easily fits in with the industry’s requirements for innovation, service excellence, and continual development. This approach encourages a feeling of dedication, passion, and purpose in both employees and visitors, which boosts output and rivalry. The use of democratic, servant, and situational leadership styles in the fast-paced and dynamic hospitality industry might present some problems despite its unique insights and advantages. Subsequent investigations may explore more extensively enhancing leadership methodologies, tackling constraints, and customizing tactics to fulfill the dynamic requirements of the hospitality sector.
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