Rhonda Staples is the General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn Dallas-Allen and has been running this location for little over a year. Rhonda took over when the hotel was experiencing lots of turn-over and financial turmoil. There was a general distrust from the core team about her management style and who she was as a leader when she first joined the company.

Through her strong dedication and leadership style, Rhonda quickly gained the trust of her team and has substantially boost team moral for the entire hotel staff. How did she do it? Well, she attributes some of that success to getting to know her team - and I mean really getting to know them. When she first started, she made it a point to get to know the morning, afternoon, and night staff on a first name basis.

On the show, Rhonda admitted to me that she is an introvert at heart, further proving that anyone can become an amazing and powerful leader. She offers some tips on how to become an extraordinary leader, the skills you need to develop and why having a diverse team is crucial. What really stuck out for me was Rhonda's grace and ease. She prefers to keep a low profile on herself and give all the credit to her team. Rhonda “walks the walk” of a true servant leader. She believes in empowering her people in order to help take them team to higher ground. I believe this is why she was able to dramatically turn around the team’s performance within a very short amount of time.

One of the primary tools that Rhonda recommends to other leaders and managers is the DiSC personality assessment. The assessment helps team members understand the difference in their communication style preferences, which results is more effective and productive working relationships. To learn more about how you can use DiSC with your team, click here or on the link in the Show Notes below.

 

Show Notes

[2:45] Who is Rhonda?

[4:05] What kind of challenges did Rhonda face when she took over as general manager at the Hilton Garden Inn?

[4:55] What were some of the issues the hotel had before Rhonda took over?

[6:25] The team wasn't happy that Rhonda was taking over.

[7:55] Rhonda is a leader who is able to take her team to higher ground.

[8:10] How did Rhonda win her team over? What did she do differently?

[10:35] Rhonda knows the entire hotel staff. She made it a point to get to know everybody.

[12:30] Rhonda has weekly meetings with her staff. How does she keep it fresh?

[13:25] How does Rhonda keep her team motivated?

[16:40] You really have to know the person and what they're best at based on their personality.

[18:10] Rhonda works with her team to find the solution, she doesn't just bark orders at them.

[18:30] What advice does Rhonda have on trying to get to know people better?

[20:30] It takes a whole team to run a hotel and if you can get the respect of your team, you've just made your job a whole lot easier.

[21:30] Even if you're an introvert, you can be a great leader.

[21:55] You have to be okay with a diversified team and you have to be okay with knowing your own weaknesses as a leader.

[24:10] Rhonda admits having a younger group of employees helps her learn as well.

[25:35] How does Rhonda deal with conflict, especially with a diverse team, which vary from different age ranges, experiences, and cultures?

[26:15] Don't tolerate the gossip.

[28:50] You have to lead by example.

[30:45] How did Rhonda turn the poor-performing hotel around?

[32:05] What was the management style before Rhonda took over?

[35:25] How does Rhonda set and structure her goals? Be sure not to miss this part!

[40:45] Rhonda shares a bit about her past and why she is who she is today.

[44:35] Rhonda explains that people have such a strong bias towards foster children. Learn what you can do to make a difference.

 

Ambition Quote:

"If you expect something out of life, you have to go get it. Anything you want to be, you can be."

 

Follow:

Allen Chamber of Commerce

Allen CVB, TX

Hotel Association of North Texas

Friends of Wednesday's Child

Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County

 

Connect with Rhonda:

Hilton Garden Inn

 

Rhonda's Recommended Resources:

DISC

 

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