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Horst Schulze, the founding president and COO of Ritz-Carlton, grew up in Germany with a vision and a dream of working with the finest hotels all over Europe. He worked his way up from busboy and dishwasher to becoming the legendary hotelier he is today. Horst Schulze has always believed that the world is full of people who have big dreams and passions. He knew if he built a team of these like-minded individuals, they would create something extraordinary. Horst and his team grew Ritz-Carlton into a global leader, renowned for a culture of superior service with expertise in business growth and trends, corporate culture, and leadership.
“The best experience I’ve ever had in my life was when God stripped away everything from me and left a room for God to enter in my life.” – Horst Schulze
Horst Schulze was diagnosed with cancer and was told that he only had 8 months to 1 year to live. What began as a very scary experience became an incredible journey that brought him closer to God. Horst says he would not take back his diagnosis if he could, because the closeness and the relationship that he found with God during that time was overwhelming and life-changing. He describes it as God knocking at his door so Horst could really hear God. He feels that God took away the filters of ego and worldly treasures, and showed him that he is nothing without God…but someone of great value in the eyes of God.
Horst Schulze believes that true leadership is when an organization creates an environment in which people can lead themselves, not one where they are led solely by their boss. In this environment, each team member will enjoy the work he or she is doing and will strive to excel in every task. Horst says that company leadership problems happens when people are hired to fulfill certain functions, without the big picture in mind. We need to select them to join the dream and vision of the organization. When we hire them to join an overarching purpose and show them how the motive of that purpose matches their own motivation, they have unlimited opportunity for growth, and to feel valued and be excellent in their roles.
“The power of caring for others determines our success and how we care for people is paramount to that success.” – Horst Schulze
Every employee at Ritz-Carlton is certified in problem-solution. From the orientation process onward, they are informed about the company and its mission, vision and objectives. Each department member is asked, “where do you want to be 6 months from now?” They are listened to when they have suggestions as to how their jobs can be done better or more efficiently. Teams are created to determine the root cause of problems and finding solutions. Employees are well-informed about company decisions and they understand how the value of these decisions are of value to them also.
If you want to find out more about Horst Schulze and his great culture of service you can get a copy of his book entitled “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” and visit the website: https://www.wsb.com/speakers/horst-schulze
In this article you will learn about:
- What shift needs to happen for people to excel in a job they are in
- How do you explain to people what leading themselves looks like
- What can we do to actually start addressing this leadership crisis we find ourselves in
- How to organize and create a process of hiring people for a job
- How do I connect the objective and the motive to see the value and the individual that is working with me vs somebody who has to accomplish something at work
About the Guest:
As founding president and COO of Ritz-Carlton, Horst Schulze established a new standard of excellence in his industry. He energizes organizations to reconnect with their service commitment.
Horst Schulze revolutionized the hotel industry, creating one of the most recognizable international brands, forever altering the very nature of customer service by creating a culture of “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” A charismatic leader and entrepreneur with an intimate understanding of market demands, he created a legion of loyal customers by raising the bar for customer service expectations to previously unimagined levels. Schulze provides audiences with successful service-oriented strategies to build and maintain lasting customer relationships that keep them coming back for more. A man of rare ability and prophetic vision, Schulze himself was named “Corporate Hotelier of the World” by HOTELS magazine and was awarded the Ishikawa Medal for his contributions to the quality movement. Currently chairman and CEO of Capella Hotel Group, Schulze is launching the newest standard in luxury hotels creating an unmatched tier of customer service.
