What an amazing two days we had this week! I am truly inspired by all of the attendees at our first MIBE Heart Leadership Workshop. When you embark on something for the first time, you don’t really know what to expect and I was beyond thrilled with how everyone showed up. We had two packed days of speakers, discussions and activities that took everyone on a journey of discovery, reflection and creating a plan for growth. It culminated in attendees creating their own Leadership Manifesto that they can display prominently as a reminder of the heart leader they want to be.

I believe we need Heart Leadership more than ever right now. We are bombarded by negative influences everyday. Our political leaders seem more concerned with slamming each other down, than actually leading, we celebrate reality tv stars as icons, the negative impact of social media on our teenagers is starting to come to light, and an overemphasis on corporate earnings leads to companies valuing profits over people.

Now is the time for us to lean into our development as leaders. To be inspired by the amazing things that are taking place in our world. To show what can happen when you lead with your heart. Leading with your heart does not mean you need to sacrifice results or go easy on your team. As Tommy Spaulding shared with us, you can actually achieve even higher levels of success when you lead with your heart, what he calls “Love Driven Results”. Julia Gentry reminded us that when we take time to discover who we are, we take back control of our thoughts and emotions and not let them define us. And Stacy Lambatos in her 10 Characteristics of Heart Leaders, inspired us on what it truly means to be vulnerable and how that can make you a more powerful leader.

Despite the fact that the past 19 months have been some of the most difficult times for the hospitality industry, the people that came to the workshop showed up and were willing to be all in! They were eager to learn, built connections with fellow attendees from across the country, leaned into vulnerability and they were honest about their opportunities to improve. It was energizing to be around such amazing people that have a genuine desire to grow into the best version of themselves as leaders.

A big thank you to Colleen Hartigan, Sam Totten, my amazing wife, April Lambatos, and the Footers Team for all the work you did to make this dream a reality. We are on a mission to inspire those in the hospitality industry to lead with their hearts and create awesome work environments. Because when we lead with our heart, we make an impact on those around us and help them find more joy and fulfillment in their lives. Thank you to those of you who joined us here in Denver and for the rest of you, we hope to see you at a future Heart Leadership Workshop!