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In this episode, Heather interviews Nick Boulas, Director of Leadership Development at BBL Hospitality. Nick has been in the hospitality industry for over 40 years and is now the Director of Leadership Development with BBL Hospitality for over 22 hotels and 15 restaurants. Nick Boulas is originally from Horseheads, NY where he grew up in the Greek diner business. He then went on to study Hospitality Management at Niagara University.
Nick has been on a mission for the last 20 years to improve workplace culture by working with individuals and teams in an effort to bring about positive change. He believes in caring leadership and works to develop his employees into the best leaders they can be.
Key Takeaways:
- Surround yourself with family and friends that understand your devotion to your team members.
- Always be on the lookout for opportunities.
- Look for the greatness in your current employees.
- Honesty and transparency will always lead to greater results.
- Making others feel great will make you feel great as well.
- Gratitude creates a ripple effect.
Nick was born and raised in Horseheads, NY, where he grew up in the Greek diner business. He attended Niagara University, where he studied Hospitality Management.
Nick has been in the hospitality industry for over 40 years. During that time, he has held positions such as Food and Beverage Director, Director of Sales and Marketing, Operations Manager, chain restaurant management, and currently works as General Manager and Director of Leadership Development with BBL Hospitality. He now oversees 22 hotels and 15 restaurants.
In his current role as Director of Leadership Development, he is responsible for assisting in the growth of associates to help them reach their goals and facilitate their growth. He has developed several training programs in EQ, Servant Leadership, Team Building (AYS), and Storytelling.
You have to know who you are who your team is to lead effectively. – Nick Boulas #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
Develop the Potential
I have been on a mission for the last 20 years to improve workplace culture by working with individuals and teams to bring about positive change. I do this within my organization by actively training employees to become leaders. I believe that managers should always look for opportunities to develop their own team members into leadership positions instead of seeking new hires for leadership positions. Truthfully, most people have the potential. Many just don’t express the desire to move into leadership positions. As leaders, managers, directors, we can miss these opportunities if we’re not looking. Actively looking for greatness will open your eyes to the potential you already have. As leaders, we don’t push – we just plant the seed.
Gratitude is not a cure-all, it's a cope-all. - Nick Boulas #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
Honesty is the Best Policy
Being honest, transparent, and genuine with your team members will always lead to better results. For example, I saw what everyone was saying about their team member. Yet, when it came time to talk to her about it, I tried to minimize that. That was a learning lesson for me because as soon as she gave me the green light to lead, I let it all out. Looking back, I should have been transparent with her from the beginning. Because at the end of the day, we are the leaders, and it’s our job to guide our teams – not the other way around.
Be aware of self-awareness. - Nick Boulas #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
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