BY JONATHAN ELLERBY, PH. D.

IN HOSPITALITY AND WELLNESS, leadership is more than managing tasks— it’ s about shaping culture, building trust and fostering growth. Over the years, working with teams across resorts, spas and wellness centers, I’ ve found the most effective leaders embrace a growth-centered approach, grounded in a balance of compassion and accountability. These five go-to principles are among my favorites— simple, powerful and relevant at every level of leadership.

THIS IS PART 6 OF A SERIES. Watch for all 10 Leadership Lessons for Thriving Spa Teams from Dr. Jonathan Ellerby.

1. LEARN FROM EVERY EXPERIENCE l Key Lesson: Every interaction, mistake and success holds a lesson— if we’ re open to it. Disappointment l

l and frustration are natural, but both life and work thrive when we center our thinking around learning rather than assumptions and personal expectations. Illustration: I once coached a spa director who felt frustrated by frequent staff turnover. As we explored the repeated pattern, she realized she was unintentionally overwhelming new hires with too much information in the first two weeks. Her intention was good— to set them up for success by giving them all the information they might need— but the effect was the opposite. New team members felt overloaded and unsure how to ask for help. Practice: Ask yourself: What is this situation trying to teach me? Write down one recent challenge and identify three things you could learn from it— about yourself, others or the system.

A SERIES OF 10 LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR THRIVING SPA TEAMS

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