The best way to learn leadership skills is to ‘step up, take control and make decisions,’ says McCarthy / photo: shutterstock/Myvisuals
One of the most rewarding parts of being older and a bit more established in my career is the opportunity to mentor others. In the past few years, I've taken on a number of mentees, some of whom I’ve coached from afar and others whom I’ve taken under my wing, working closely with them for an extended period.
Mentoring is not easy. It’s one thing to become successful in your own career, but to package and convey a lifetime of learning, experiences and wisdom into some usable nugget that can actually make a meaningful impact on someone’s life and career is its own art form and not one that I’ve mastered.
I often think the most important thing my mentees need to learn is the hardest thing for me to teach: leadership. People who are juniors in their careers today have access to incredible resources that I never had. They can easily learn about the industry by taking courses, reading blogs, watching YouTube videos, etc. They can learn how to read a P&L, how to write an SOP or how to give good customer service. But leadership is one of the most essential skills for a successful career and it’s hard to learn, hard to teach and not easily replaced by technology.
Trial and error When I think about how I learned leadership, the top answer that comes to mind is trial and error. I made lots of mistakes. They didn’t feel good. I made adjustments. Often, I overcorrected and made more mistakes. And gradually, over time, I established my own leadership style. But I never finished learning how to be a leader. I’m still learning from my mistakes to this day.
Role models The second way I learned is by working with people I admired. Inspiring leaders were role models, who pushed me to be the best I could and also gave me a template for what being a good leader looks like. I’ve worked with some amazing people and my approach to leadership is shaped by those who went before.
Learning by dislike The third way I learned is by working with people I didn’t like. The micromanagers, the tyrants and the soulless number crunchers. They were role models too, teaching me what didn’t work and what I didn’t want to become.
The leadership wisdom from these channels is hard-won. They take time and effort and more than a few lumps along the way. Sure, as a mentor I can try to help my mentees bypass some of the pain and duration necessary to learn these skills. I can try to bottle up the lessons I’ve learned into an easily digestible format, but they’ll sound like meaningless platitudes.
It’s not until the mentee tries them out in a real situation that they can see whether it fits them or not. The techniques that work are the ones that come from the heart of the leader. Authenticity is more important than the actions themselves.
So my advice to those who are early in their careers is simple: step up, take control and make decisions. Make decisions and mistakes. You won’t make good decisions at first. Making good decisions requires wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience. And experience comes from making bad decisions. So make bad decisions. Own your mistakes and learn from them. And maybe ... just maybe ... become a leader along the way.
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: Feeling optimistic
Revenue is at an all-time high and democratic wellness is bubbling under. It’s an exciting time for spas, says Katie Barnes
Spa People: Taichi Kuma
The son of celebrated architect Kengo Kuma designs a striking shell-like sauna in Japan
Spa People: Ana Ramirez
On her plans to roll out Ancestral Handmade, her regenerative wellness hotel concept, across South America – starting in Colombia
Spa People: Daniel Golby
On ESPA Life's debut in Doha and the markets he has his eyes set on for future expansion
News report: Milestone moment
US spa industry revenue exceeds the US$20bn mark according to ISPA's latest Big Five statistics
Sponsored: MyBlend: A new vision of beauty
Clarins has elevated its myBlend brand with new tech and formulations, as well as forging powerful alliances with global spa partners
Sponsored: Gharieni: Mind expansion
With the quest for better mental health growing ever stronger in the wake of the global pandemic, we ask Gharieni CEO Sammy Gharieni how the company’s wellness technologies are helping spas to meet this consumer demand
Top team: Hilton
Sleep, fitness and new spa concepts are top of the list as Hilton looks to deliver wellness across its 7,000 properties
Thermal spa: The heat is on
With 50 hot springs projects underway, the US is looking to establish itself as a thermal spa destination. Jane Kitchen takes a closer look
The best way to learn leadership skills is to ‘step up, take control and make decisions,’ says McCarthy / photo: shutterstock/Myvisuals
One of the most rewarding parts of being older and a bit more established in my career is the opportunity to mentor others. In the past few years, I've taken on a number of mentees, some of whom I’ve coached from afar and others whom I’ve taken under my wing, working closely with them for an extended period.
Mentoring is not easy. It’s one thing to become successful in your own career, but to package and convey a lifetime of learning, experiences and wisdom into some usable nugget that can actually make a meaningful impact on someone’s life and career is its own art form and not one that I’ve mastered.
I often think the most important thing my mentees need to learn is the hardest thing for me to teach: leadership. People who are juniors in their careers today have access to incredible resources that I never had. They can easily learn about the industry by taking courses, reading blogs, watching YouTube videos, etc. They can learn how to read a P&L, how to write an SOP or how to give good customer service. But leadership is one of the most essential skills for a successful career and it’s hard to learn, hard to teach and not easily replaced by technology.
Trial and error When I think about how I learned leadership, the top answer that comes to mind is trial and error. I made lots of mistakes. They didn’t feel good. I made adjustments. Often, I overcorrected and made more mistakes. And gradually, over time, I established my own leadership style. But I never finished learning how to be a leader. I’m still learning from my mistakes to this day.
Role models The second way I learned is by working with people I admired. Inspiring leaders were role models, who pushed me to be the best I could and also gave me a template for what being a good leader looks like. I’ve worked with some amazing people and my approach to leadership is shaped by those who went before.
Learning by dislike The third way I learned is by working with people I didn’t like. The micromanagers, the tyrants and the soulless number crunchers. They were role models too, teaching me what didn’t work and what I didn’t want to become.
The leadership wisdom from these channels is hard-won. They take time and effort and more than a few lumps along the way. Sure, as a mentor I can try to help my mentees bypass some of the pain and duration necessary to learn these skills. I can try to bottle up the lessons I’ve learned into an easily digestible format, but they’ll sound like meaningless platitudes.
It’s not until the mentee tries them out in a real situation that they can see whether it fits them or not. The techniques that work are the ones that come from the heart of the leader. Authenticity is more important than the actions themselves.
So my advice to those who are early in their careers is simple: step up, take control and make decisions. Make decisions and mistakes. You won’t make good decisions at first. Making good decisions requires wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience. And experience comes from making bad decisions. So make bad decisions. Own your mistakes and learn from them. And maybe ... just maybe ... become a leader along the way.
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: Feeling optimistic
Revenue is at an all-time high and democratic wellness is bubbling under. It’s an exciting time for spas, says Katie Barnes
Spa People: Taichi Kuma
The son of celebrated architect Kengo Kuma designs a striking shell-like sauna in Japan
Spa People: Ana Ramirez
On her plans to roll out Ancestral Handmade, her regenerative wellness hotel concept, across South America – starting in Colombia
Spa People: Daniel Golby
On ESPA Life's debut in Doha and the markets he has his eyes set on for future expansion
News report: Milestone moment
US spa industry revenue exceeds the US$20bn mark according to ISPA's latest Big Five statistics
Sponsored: MyBlend: A new vision of beauty
Clarins has elevated its myBlend brand with new tech and formulations, as well as forging powerful alliances with global spa partners
Sponsored: Gharieni: Mind expansion
With the quest for better mental health growing ever stronger in the wake of the global pandemic, we ask Gharieni CEO Sammy Gharieni how the company’s wellness technologies are helping spas to meet this consumer demand
Top team: Hilton
Sleep, fitness and new spa concepts are top of the list as Hilton looks to deliver wellness across its 7,000 properties
Thermal spa: The heat is on
With 50 hot springs projects underway, the US is looking to establish itself as a thermal spa destination. Jane Kitchen takes a closer look
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Taylor Made Designs Founded in 1993, Taylor Made
Designs supply corporate clothing
and brand-enhancing merchandise
to [more...]
IAAPA EMEA IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
Painting With Light By combining lighting, video, scenic and architectural elements, sound and special effects we tell s [more...]
IDEATTACK IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and
design company with headquarters in
Los Angeles. [more...]
