A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak to a group of senior women in hospitality about what I’ve learned in my career regarding the advancement of women in our sector. I could probably write a book on the subject (perhaps I should). But if I had to distil it down, these are the five lessons that matter most to me.
Take your career seriously — because no one else will do it for you.
Know where you want to get to. You don’t need a perfectly mapped five-year plan, but you do need a sense of direction. What does “success” look like for you? General Manager? CEO? Entrepreneur? Sector specialist?
Once you’re clear, plan a rough journey. Seek out roles that stretch you and move you closer to that goal. Tell people you trust what your ambition is — mentors, sponsors, line managers. Let them help you navigate.
There will be blips. Of course there will. Projects will fail. Promotions may not happen when you expect them. You’ll make decisions that, in hindsight, you might change. Don’t let setbacks distract you from your direction. Learn from them, recalibrate, and keep moving.
Know your numbers — really know them. Understand the financials of your business. Understand your team’s performance metrics. Understand how your decisions affect profit, cost, margin, and growth.
Passion is powerful. But in business, passion without evidence is rarely enough.
If you want to implement a new initiative, prove why it makes commercial sense. If you’ve delivered a result, quantify it. Did you increase sales beyond budget? Improve margins? Lift NPS? Reduce labour costs while maintaining service standards?
Facts create credibility. Data builds authority. Financial clarity accelerates progression.
If you don’t believe in yourself enough to articulate your value, why should anyone else?
For many women — particularly those raised to believe that “self-praise is no recommendation” (as I was) — this can feel uncomfortable. But visibility matters. Create your own short “stump speech.” Be clear about who you are, what you do, what you’ve achieved.
Listen to how others introduce themselves. Practice yours. Refine it. Accept praise and use it to reinforce your confidence.
This doesn’t mean abandoning humility. You can absolutely be self-deprecating at times. But that should come from a position of strength — knowing that you are good at what you do and that you can prove it.
It’s not what you’ve done that impresses people — it’s what you’ve achieved. Keep a record of your wins. Every week if you can. Track the impact you’ve had on the business. Your achievements are your evidence.
When promotion discussions arise or interviews happen, you shouldn’t have to scramble to remember your impact. Your numbers should tell your story. High performers know how they add value — and they can articulate it clearly.
Kindness and niceness are not the same thing. Niceness often avoids conflict. Kindness addresses it.
You will, at times, need to face uncomfortable truths. You will need to give candid feedback. You will need to challenge poor performance or confront difficult behaviour. Ignoring hard situations in order to be liked will not serve you — or your team.
Being kind means being honest, acting with integrity, moving quickly, delivering feedback with empathy and respect. You can have difficult conversations with compassion. You can hold high standards and still be humane. Leadership is not about being liked. It is about being respected — and respect is built on fairness, clarity and courage.
There are many more lessons I could share. But if women in hospitality consistently owned their careers, understood their numbers, spoke confidently about their value, focused on impact, and led with courageous kindness — we would accelerate progress across our sector.
And perhaps one day, I really will write that book.
We will reply to your enquiry as soon as we can.
