As part of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s 2022 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality report, which features in-depth interviews with leading female execs from across the industry, we asked honorees what steps they took to develop themselves as a leader. Here are a few of the CEOs responses, including steps you can take to become a better leader:

“I wouldn’t be a CEO without the mentorship of some remarkable people. It’s very important that aspiring leaders proactively seek out mentors and pay attention when help is offered. When I was relatively new to politics and tourism, Gov. Pete Wilson and his secretary of commerce, Julie Meier Wright, placed their confidence in me to help launch the organization that became Visit California. Their trust and guidance — and a lot of additional help along the way — empowered me to take a leap forward in my career.” — Caroline Beteta, President and CEO, Visit California

“As a leader, being a visionary is important, however, I make it my intention to listen to the input and feedback from my team, advisors and mentors for continuous development. I strongly believe a great leader purposely serves from the background. I make it a priority to be a servant first in order to elevate, motivate, mentor, educate and guide my team. In the past 18 months I’ve been exploring the power of vulnerability as a leader. Vulnerability has been something I’ve struggled with in the past. I was raised in an environment where I was conditioned to keep everything to myself, good or bad! In my perspective, vulnerability was a sign of weakness. In the past few years, however, I’ve been unlearning and learning about the power of vulnerability with boundaries as a leader.  I’ve made it a priority to incorporate sharing gratitudes at the start of my weekly team meetings. Thus, it has opened up some important conversations, created a positive/no judgment work environment, and has also allowed my team to know me better as a leader.” — Yaa Birago, CEO and Co-Founder, Femmebnb 

“To become a better leader to those around me, I try to follow these few steps:

  • Always be honest. There are appropriate and inappropriate ways to be honest. I strive to provide honesty in a respectful manner
  • Lead with positivity. When things get stressful for my team, I always try to ensure they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
  • Commit yourself. If you don’t believe in the mission, then those around you won’t as well. I’m extremely confident in our ability to produce unforgettable events and meetings, and my team knows that they’re the real superstars.
  • Never stop learning! I try to surround myself with people smarter than me; they’re the best to learn from. Leaders who think they know everything are doing their employees a disservice. There’s always more to learn.” — Lisa Crouse, CEO, Canvas Meetings & Incentives

“I never charted too narrow of a course for my career. I personally don’t believe that success always follows a linear path; it doesn’t only go up the ladder. Some of the most vital lessons I learned in my career were because I chose to take lateral roles that diversified my experience, exposed me to different kinds of business challenges and customers, and opened doors that might never have even been options otherwise. My varied experiences helped me refine my career aspirations because I gained a thorough understanding of the types of roles that I liked and, as importantly, the ones I didn’t. I try to approach every new challenge as an opportunity to learn something to improve my capabilities — even negative experiences have much to teach us if you have the right mindset. Another factor critical in my development as a leader is the invaluable counsel of several outstanding mentors I’ve had throughout the various phases of my career. It’s hard to overstate the impact of authentic, constructive relationships with mentors who will be honest with you, will challenge you, and who are invested in your success in the long term. My mentors changed the trajectory of my career, and it would be one of the greatest accomplishments of my career if I could impact someone else’s life the way that mine has been so positively impacted.” — Shannon Knapp, President and CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World

“I believe that there are several key factors in developing your leadership skills, some of which aren’t unlike developing any other skill:

  • Be willing to work at it. Read, talk to others you respect and admire as leaders, take feedback from your team, your peers, your coaches and mentors, and others, and then work to incorporate the best of those things into your style.
  • Be willing to meet others where they are. Your style needs to flex to meet the needs of diverse teams and teammates, not the other way around. Each person you’re leading will have different needs. It’s your job to meet those needs, not their job to conform to your style. 
  • Become a great listener. Actively listening for both what people tell you and what they don’t say is so important to being a good leader. You have to know what motivates them, what matters to them, and why they’re there. You also have to listen to what you don’t hear. When someone isn’t talking passionately with you about their work or their team, that says a lot as well.” — Michelle McKinney Frymire, CEO, CWT

To hear more from these women leaders (as well as other honorees) on additional important topics related to both leadership and the travel and hospitality industry, download the report, 2022 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality.