Erinn shares how involvement in an association taught her about true leadership and the importance of increasing listening skills and developing patience.  She also explains why learning her bosses’ priorities and preferred ways of working, early on in a job, helps advance her career – and that it’s more important to be effective than to be right.  Erinn explains how creating her own platform gave her the ability to be seen and perceived differently – and confidently advocate for herself.

Nina explains why women leaders shouldn’t be defined by the traits that define male leaders, and how she motivates herself to attend networking events.  She shares the goals she set early on to improve her public speaking skills as well as the beauty of networks for collecting different perspectives and helping you make decisions.  She describes how she overcomes negative thoughts, and the value of advocating for oneself and being humble enough to ask for help, which provides opportunities to learn.

Harry shares how concert and event production experience led to founding The Lodging Conference. He discusses evaluating risk and how overcoming each challenge prepares him for the next challenge. Harry talks about public speaking, skill development, and continuous learning and the importance of each for career growth. And Harry shares why he'd tell his younger self to "chill out."

Noreen shares how she intentionally created her path to leadership through continuous learning, taking risks, and developing trusted relationships. She talks about advocating for yourself and overcoming self-doubt. She discusses how her involvement in non-profits further develops her leadership and how marathon training shares many common traits she uses as a business leader.

Robert's early career was influenced by several mergers and acquisitions that had him quickly gain experience in the travel industry. He was fortunate to encounter many champions and mentors who crossed his path and helped him advance. He outlines the value that the M&A environment provided to him in understanding value creation through strategic fit and having a
 strong implementation plan but to also be agile in evolving your plan to be responsive to the market. Bob is a believer in the value of diverse talent and the richness of entertaining different viewpoints, as they result in better outcomes. The value of listening to others and challenging yourself to be open to new experiences and viewpoints has been a key to his success.

Influenced at an early age by his experience at the family annual vacation spot in the Poconos, Lou knew he wanted to be part of the travel and hospitality industry. Taking a different path than his peers, he chose to enroll in a hospitality school at the local community college and worked at the local Holiday Inn. His early experience set him up to be on the ground floor of
 the development and growth of Booking.com in North America. Always willing to take on a challenge and embrace the chaos that comes with building something from nothing, he was able to successfully grow in his role and become a very influential business leader. He learned the importance of carefully listening and ensuring he fully understood the intended messages
 he and others were communicating to truly bridge understanding.

Tim always wanted to be an entrepreneur and worked his way into the hotel and restaurant business starting as a dishwasher and doing every job in a hotel starting at the age of fourteen. He found his way to Cornell Hotel School and minored in computer science. After graduation, he wanted to focus on the travel tech part of the hotel business and formed a partnership with John Prince, and together they bootstrapped Hotelplanner into a powerful hotel tech solution for group business. Known for supporting customers through listening and learning, Tim’s personal mantra is “be an expert and act like one.” The technology business is continually evolving and that requires innovation to remain relevant while maintaining a humble mindset.

Jyoti shares the skills she's developed and the relationships she's built through her service on industry boards and associations. She discusses the important roles her mentors have played in her career and how she develops relationships that serve both her personal and professional lives. Jyoti discusses work life management and self-care and how to counteract imposter syndrome.

Steven shares how his curiosity and connection with people help him develop relationships and how many of those relationships then end up serving as mentors and champions to others. He shares how his involvement in associations helps him continuously grow and develop new skills. Steven offers insights on public speaking, a skill he did not develop until more recently in his career, and which he now finds very fulfilling.

Matt discusses the leadership lessons he learned through youth sports and fraternity involvement as a precursor to his executive roles.  He shares the role mentors and champions have played on his path and his strategy for building genuine relationships. Matt also talks about public speaking as an important element in your leadership toolbox.