How Leaders Across Travel and Hospitality Encourage Innovation and Take Calculated Risks

As part of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s 2024 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality report, which features in-depth interviews with leading female executives from across the industry, we asked honorees several questions, including “Describe a situation where you encouraged innovation or took a calculated risk in your leadership role." Here are a few of their responses:

"We’re constantly innovating at Celebrity Cruises and are currently in development for the final ship in our Edge Series, Xcel. In that process, we use consumer insights and our guest feedback to guide our way. The challenge is to deliver on all our guests’ passion points, and then to take it a step further and elevate those passion points to a level that they couldn’t dream up themselves. We’re in the midst of that now with our exemplary product development team and are rewarding them every step of the way for pushing the boundaries and reaching out of their comfort zone to deliver another game changer for the brand. I lead by example, sharing instances where I’ve taken calculated risks and learned from the outcomes. I strive to foster a culture that embraces creativity and risk by recognizing and rewarding innovative ideas that are rooted in consumer insights, providing resources for experimentation, and creating a space where team members feel empowered to share and implement their creative solutions." --Laura Hodges Bethge, President, Celebrity Cruises

"The very existence of Sisters of the Skies was a calculated risk. The decision to organize and lead a new venture with an unprecedented mission means that everything requires innovation. Leading by example is one way, but the best approach is not only to encourage team
members to bring ideas to the table, but also to be open to receiving their ideas in some capacity and to praise their efforts. This gives team members confidence knowing they’re valued and cultivates a desire to continue being creative and innovative moving forward." --Nia Gilliam, Pilot, United Airlines, Co-Founder, Sisters of the Skies

"Introducing the idea of a women’s program in 2015 and articulating a goal to have 40 percent of our properties owned by women was a risk — not because I didn’t think I would have support from my colleagues, but because no other hospitality brand was doing what I was proposing. Red Roof was the first. But as TS Elliott said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” My colleagues and the Red Roof board rallied behind this idea. We went full speed ahead. And what started eight years ago as a whisper, a small but mighty desire for more women of Red Roof, has turned into a roar. We witnessed great success and engagement in the early years of our Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs. This year, we realized our women and the women of the industry needed more. We looked at what we learned and accomplished and innovated again. We introduced SHE, inspired by Red Roof, a 360-degree program designed to Support, Help, and Elevate women through year-round thought leadership and access to resources on she-leads.com and our annual SHE Leads Forum. I recently heard an interesting statistic on the time it took various technologies to reach 100 million users: the car (60 years); mobile technology (16 years); ChatGPT (only two months!). The speed of change necessitates that we try things that are new and different. We remain flexible, we assess, and we adapt." --Marina MacDonald, Chief Marketing Officer, Red Roof

"After 21 years at Walt Disney World leading hospitality and entertainment businesses, I took a risk by changing industries. While I was a bit nervous, everything I learned about leading dynamic teams and businesses and creating premium experiences easily translated into aviation and the redevelopment of LaGuardia’s Terminal B. Safety and efficient operations are cornerstones of every business, especially in aviation. Our approach to then weave in experiential surprises and hospitality raises the bar to reimagine and deliver a better airport experience." --Suzette Noble, Chief Executive Officer, LaGuardia Gateway Partners

To hear more from these women leaders (as well as other honorees) on additional important topics related to both leadership and the travel and hospitality industry, download the full report, 2024 Top Women in Travel and Hospitality.