BY TRACY HARPER

AT A YOUNG AGE , I WAS TOLD I had the potential to be a strong leader . That encouragement made a huge impact on my career path and gave me the confidence and drive to become a strong leader in whatever I chose to do in life . It impacted my decisions in everything I did and ultimately put me in a leadership position in an industry I have grown to love . Now , with the help of a few solid principles , I look for every opportunity to invest in the growth of members of my team as they travel their own path toward leadership .

Embrace the Journey Leadership development has been a huge passion for me since I started my career as a spa director , but whether I realized it or not , my own journey toward understanding leadership began as soon as I stepped foot into the spa industry . I started that journey as a front desk agent after my husband and I married and moved to Park City , Utah , to start

our lives together . I found a job at a small boutique hotel that was opening a spa . I still remember my interview like it was yesterday — Sharon Narduzzi was spa director at that time , and she was overseeing the new opening . As we sat and talked about the position , I was so impressed with her confidence and knowledge of the industry and how comfortable she made me feel throughout the interview process . She was kind , and I felt like she had a personal interest in me as a potential hire . I remember thinking to myself ,“ I would love to be a spa director like her someday .” Little did I know that , a couple of years later — and after plenty of hard work and time spent learning about the operation — I would have that opportunity .

I was ( in my mind , at least ) nowhere near qualified for the position and still had a lot to learn , but I took every opportunity to learn and grow in every area I could . Later , when I had the opportunity to be a spa director at a differ-

42 PULSE • APRIL 2022