Real Talk Fridays: When Leadership Shows Up

Oct 6

In my last blog, I shared a story about what happens when leadership stays silent. This time, I want to show you what happens when leadership pays attention.

Several years ago, I was in London on one of many business trips. I was deep into my software consulting career, flying 200,000–300,000 miles a year, staying in hotels over 120 nights annually. For me, it wasn’t just travel — it was life. And the hotel staff I saw repeatedly in cities like Chicago, Vegas, London, and Tel Aviv? They weren’t just service professionals. They were people with whom I’d built real relationships.

On that particular trip, I got sick. And when I’m sick, there are a few very specific things I want: pot noodles, Canada Dry ginger ale, mint tea with lemon and honey, and toast.

When I called down to the front desk to ask for help, they said: “We’ve got you covered on everything except the pot noodles.”

But someone went out and got them anyway.

They checked on me. They made sure I had what I needed. They showed care that went way beyond what’s required of anyone in hospitality. I’ve never forgotten that.

As I was resting, I started thinking about all the people I’d met across these properties over the years — the way they’d made me feel. The ways they remembered me. The way I never felt like just a room number. And I thought: They deserve to be seen.

So I did what felt natural to me.

I pulled out my laptop and I wrote an email. Not to the hotel GM. Not to customer service. I sent it to Arne Sorenson, the CEO of Marriott International at the time.

In it, I told him about four specific properties — Chicago, London, Las Vegas, and Tel Aviv. I listed the names I remembered and gave context for why these people were extraordinary. I also named my SPG Ambassador and the impact he had made on my travel experience. I told him that the people in those hotels had made me feel less alone on the road. They’d made the grind feel human. And that mattered.

I didn’t expect anything. I just wanted them to be acknowledged.

And then something extraordinary happened.

The next morning, as I boarded my flight home and turned on my phone, it started lighting up.

WhatsApp’s. Text messages. Emails.

From London. Chicago. Vegas. Tel Aviv.

One woman told me she received the largest bouquet of flowers she’d ever seen — sent by her general manager in response to a note he had received from Arne Sorenson. Another friend said her GM was running around the hotel reading my email out loud to staff. People were stunned.

And then... I got a response.

From Arne himself.

“Thanks for your note, Shera. You’re kind to take the time to write to recognize the teams in Las Vegas, London, Chicago and Tel Aviv and your ambassador. I am thrilled to hear about their great service. I will reach out to each of them and add my thanks to yours. Thanks for staying with us and safe travels. — Arne Sent from my iPhone”

That one line — “Sent from my iPhone” — told me everything.

This wasn’t delegated. This wasn’t filtered. This was the CEO of one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, personally acknowledging the people who mattered in that moment.

This is what it looks like when leadership shows up.

He didn’t have to respond. But he did. And because he did, everything rippled.

People were seen. Recognized. Elevated.

And the impact? Massive.

But here’s what really struck me:

This kind of service — the care, the warmth, the relationships I built wasn’t isolated. It happened in multiple properties, across multiple countries, with different people from different backgrounds.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s culture.

Sure, some of it may be good hiring. But to have consistent, human-centered excellence in so many locations? That tells me it’s something bigger.

It’s leadership.

The way an organization treats its people shapes how those people treat others. And when you feel seen by the person at the very top, it becomes easier to see the person in front of you — whether they’re a colleague, a guest, or a stranger.

What I experienced across Marriott Hotels wasn’t just great service. It was a culture of presence. And that doesn’t happen without leadership setting the tone.

The Business Case for Human Leadership

We talk a lot about culture. But what does it actually do?

Let’s look at the numbers:

Companies with consistent employee recognition see a 14% boost in productivity and engagement and a 23% increase in profitability.¹
Organizations with strong cultures built on gratitude and visibility have 31% lower voluntary turnover.²
When leadership models appreciation, it becomes a company norm — not an initiative.³
One study even showed that handwritten or personal recognition from leaders can be more motivating than cash bonuses.⁴

In my case, what Arne did cost nothing.

But the returns? Loyalty. Service excellence. Brand strength. Not just for me but for every employee who felt elevated by his attention.

Culture Isn’t an HR Program. It’s a Leadership Practice.

I’ve told this story dozens of times over the years. Because it stuck. Because it meant something.

The contrast between this and the silence I received from another CEO (when I wrote with the same care, clarity, and intent) couldn’t be more stark.

In one moment, I was ignored. In the other, I was seen. And because I was seen, so were dozens of others.

This is the culture ripple in action. This is leadership embodied.

Real Talk Wrap-Up

Culture isn’t created by slogans. It’s built by what leaders choose to acknowledge.
Recognition is free and it moves people in ways strategy never will.
When leadership shows up, so do employees.
Gratitude scales. Silence disconnects.