Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women Leaders in Hospitality
In a traditionally male-dominated field, female leaders in hospitality are challenging stereotypes and making significant strides. Nabila Cassim shares her journey of overcoming obstacles, from managing expectations as a General Manager to confronting labels often applied to assertive women. By fostering an inclusive environment and emphasizing emotional intelligence, she illustrates how women bring unique strengths to the industry. With a vision for a more equitable future, she encourages aspiring female leaders to focus on their own growth while uplifting others. Join us as we delve into her inspiring insights and experiences.
- As a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated field, what challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
The first challenge I faced & still occasionally face is that people always expect a male to emerge when asking for “The Manager”. Traditionally the role of General Manager was always occupied by males and it is / has taken time for people to have a mindset shift in this regard. Another challenge I face is when I handle issues / matters in an assertive or direct manner, I find that I get labelled being “too bossy / too aggressive to name a few challenges. I overcome these challenges by ensuring that people understand that I am here to assist and resolve a matter quickly and efficiently – I show empathy when dealing with complaints and I stick to my word, in that I action what I said I would and I check for satisfaction – In addition to this I ensure that people know that their problem is my problem and that I will do what I need to do to resolve and to ensure their satisfaction. I also deal with matters from a customer point of view and Never behave as if the problem is created by my customer – My job is to serve and I take this responsibility very seriously. With regards to staff: I ensure that I am an inclusive manager and that I show my team that their opinions matter. I communicate effectively and ensure that staff knows where they stand with me – I address a problem and ensure that they know that it is never Personal. After an issue is resolved I ensure that both the staff member and I move on. I hold myself to high standards and ensure that my word is my bond. I have found that being upfront and doing what I say I would do has earned me the respect that my position deserves. I strongly believe that someone’s life, both professionally and otherwise, must have a meaningful and positive impact on others. To overcome some of the challenges, I recognised the value of my opinion and my meaningful contribution to the organisation. I had to change my mind set in that, my gender cannot be an obstacle in my ascent towards my leadership goal. I remained authentic in order to compete as a woman in the business world and not as a woman in a man’s world. I strived to beat my record, drawing strengths and confidence in the learning experiences I have acquired throughout the years other than competing with my male colleagues.
2. In your opinion, what unique perspectives or strengths do women bring to leadership roles in the hospitality sector, and how do these contribute to the success of your hotel?
In my view and from my leadership style, I ensure that I create an inclusive environment – By doing so, I get more commitment from my team/s. By using my growth journey as a true reflection of what can be achieved by a female, starting from the very bottom of the industry, I build Confidence within my team/s that they too can achieve their desired growth and / or position within the industry. Transformation is usually a key perspective for women in any workplace, however particularly within the hospitality industry, it really does bring about change and growth. I believe we need to promote a culture which values and recognises that women’s talent for empathy and emotional intelligence are vital for any organisation. It is my view that female leaders demonstrate a transformational leadership style, Team collaboration and these can contribute immensely to the hotel as there is better collaboration within the teams, such leaders inspire and motivate junior staff to be part of meaningful contributions to the overall success of the hotel.
3. How do you see the future of gender diversity and inclusion in the hospitality sector, and what advice would you give to other aspiring female leaders in this industry?
Gender diversity and inclusion IS the Future! By being inclusive in the hospitality sector, it brings about Equality which Women have been wanting and needing for generations before us, the Women of Today! The freedom to apply and being successful within a male dominated society has really brought about great change. My advice to aspiring female leaders in this industry is to WORK HARD, be Committed, make sure that your Word is your BOND, be FAIR and be REASONABLE. Do not look at others and how their career paths are going…Run your OWN RACE! Work on uplifting yourself, take any training opportunity and never forget to uplift others! Furthermore, be clear on your goals and vision and always remember that this is a personal journey and there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success.
On Gender diversity and inclusion – It is critical for businesses and leaders to adjust to a rapidly changing environment.
The strength of any company’s leadership is not in being homogeneous, but in being open-minded to leverage our differences, deriving strength from our diversity and being a leader in one of the leading hotel groups in Southern Africa, I understand diversity and thrive in its strength, in all its forms.
The essence of gender equality is ensuring that women and men have equal opportunities, access, and participation and for this to be effective, it should be driven by top leaders of every organisation, by changing corporate culture to be more inclusive through gender equality programs and policies.
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