“I started just from building one [hotel], it worked so let’s build another, and it worked so three went to four,” recalls Sharp. “It’s a matter of what I call stepping-stones.” He may not have set out to create the world’s largest network of luxury hotels, but that is exactly what happened. In the over forty years since he first entered the business, Sharp has taken the hotel industry by storm, transforming the idea of service and quality, and doing things on his own terms. What were the factors that helped this Canadian hotelier succeed?
Leadership: “Leaders have to set a pattern of behaviour for others to follow,” says Sharp.
He believes that trust – in integrity and openness – is the measure of a good leader. He thus strove to cultivate these qualities in himself in order to motivate and bring out the best in his employees. “By nurturing the full potential of every willing worker from top to bottom,” says Sharp, “I believe that businesses can tap a unique source of leadership and success for the 21st Century.”
Focus: In his early days, Sharpe was faced with many skeptics. For almost five years, he knocked on door after door looking for investors, with no success. It was the determination with which Sharpe wanted to achieve his single goal of building a hotel that kept him going. “If someone had told me ‘Look, you’re going to start today and spend the next five years wasting your time trying to get this thing start’, I would have said I can’t do that,” says Sharp. “But you never think about what it’s going to take of you. Think: I’ve got it now.”
Service: “With China, India, Russia and other developing countries growing in market importance, recognition and appreciation of a brand name will not only help gain market share but also open up many, many opportunities for development,” says Sharp. Throughout his career, Sharp has striven to ensure that his brand name is synonymous with quality. From the interlocking bricks of the driveways at Four Seasons hotels, no detail was too small for Sharp in his goal to provide the highest quality service possible to his guests.
Consideration: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” says Sharp. “That set in place the culture of the company, which gave us service, which allowed us to become the best.” Whether it was helping his employees after the Asian tsunami or refusing to fire his staff when business went bad after 9/11, Sharp was able to rise to the top on a platform of having treated others as he would want in return.
Management: Sharp’s vision had to do with service. He didn’t want to get involved in the ownerships issues surrounding his hotels; he just wanted to run a high-quality hotel. By refusing to follow the path of his competitors, and developing his own unique management schemes, Sharp was able to develop his comparative advantage and rise above the rest.
“Every road will have a detour and bumps,” says Sharp. “The choices are the forks in the road. Usually when you understand something and feel good it gives you the will to persevere, overcome the skepticism and see through the negative side that people present.” Sharp certainly had many detours along the way, but because he had passion for what he was doing, he refused to give up. “Whatever you do, don’t ever use a crutch, and don’t ever think of having an excuse for not having said, ‘Yeah, I did my best.’”
Seasons of Success: How Sharp Took His Hotel To The Top
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