3. d. Sustainability leadership soft skills
As hotel managers aim to incorporate sustainable practices, insights from Farao, Bernuzzi, and Ronchetti’s (2023) study underscore a crucial finding: the significance of soft skills over technical hard skills. The study, centred on an Italian Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) in the food sector, reveals that the effectiveness of sustainable practices in hotels may depend more on interpersonal, communication, and emotional intelligence skills. As such, this section will delve into a discussion on which specific soft skills are deemed essential for hotel managers transitioning.
Emotional intelligence is the foundation of effective sustainability leadership. It is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, to guide thinking and behaviour. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can foster strong relationships, enhance team cohesion, and manage the complex process of organizational change towards sustainability. Research by Clarke and Mahadi (2017) emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, noting its role in facilitating employee engagement and commitment to sustainability goals.
Strategic thinking is vital for sustainability leaders to manage the interconnections between their organization, the environment, and society. This skill involves envisioning future scenarios, identifying patterns, and foreseeing the impacts of decisions. Leaders with strategic thinking capabilities can create approaches that serve both their organization and global sustainability goals. Arnold and Wade (2015) emphasize strategic thinking as crucial for tackling sustainability challenges, offering a comprehensive view for problem-solving and decision-making.
Collaborative problem-solving is another vital soft skill for sustainability leaders. It entails working effectively with others to address (sustainability) challenges, leveraging diverse perspectives, and enabling cooperation across different departments, organizations, and even industries. This skill is important for developing innovative solutions and implementing sustainability initiatives successfully. Research by Leach et al. (2014) underscores the importance of collaboration in sustainability leadership, pointing out how it enables leaders to draw on a wide range of expertise and resources to address complex sustainability issues.