For years, I believed that great hospitality leadership was a matter of precision. I was the manager who walked the floor with an eagle eye, checking table settings, inspecting room cleanliness, and ensuring every standard operating procedure was followed to the letter. My team was competent, the checklists were always completed, and by all traditional metrics, we were successful. Yet, there was a persistent tension in the air, a lack of genuine warmth that even the most perfectly polished silverware could not overcome. The breaking point came during a particularly demanding dinner service. A cascade of minor issues created a perfect storm of stress. Despite my constant intervention, the team grew more frazzled, and I could see the unease reflected in our guests’ faces. I was managing everything, yet controlling nothing. Later that night, a mentor, seeing my exhaustion, offered a single piece of advice that changed my entire philosophy: “Stop managing the floor. Start managing the energy.”

The Flaw in Managing Tasks Over People

My old approach was built on a fundamental misunderstanding of hospitality. I was treating it as a series of transactions, not as an ecosystem of human relationships. A manager who only follows standard procedures misses the point; true leaders are those who support their team’s performance and growth. By focusing exclusively on the mechanics of the service, I had inadvertently created a culture where people felt like cogs in a machine, not valued partners in creating an experience. This task oriented style breeds disengagement. Employees who are constantly corrected but rarely connected with begin to feel insignificant. As Taylor Scott notes, it is when people feel significant that they make significant contributions. My focus on process was stifling the very creativity and passion that turns good service into unforgettable hospitality. I was so busy managing the details that I forgot the core truth: great leaders are great because of their humanness, not their efficiency. The relationship between employees and their leaders is a key factor in staff loyalty. By failing to connect, I was contributing to an environment that could easily lead to burnout and high turnover. The service, and by extension the entire organization, suffers when leaders do not actively listen and take action on their team’s behalf.

The Shift to Managing Energy

The advice to “manage the energy” was a call to embrace transformational leadership, a style that focuses on inspiring and empowering people to reach their full potential. It’s a leadership philosophy rooted in the understanding that before anyone is compelled to do anything, they must first feel something. My new role was not to be a director of tasks, but a guardian of the team’s emotional well being and collective purpose. This required a deep dive into emotional intelligence, which is about understanding and managing your own emotions while recognizing them in your team. I began to prioritize empathy, striving to understand my team’s perspectives and emotions. Instead of asking “What went wrong here?”, I started asking “How are you feeling about this service?”. This small change opened up dialogue and built a common bond rooted in our shared humanity. Managing the energy means creating a culture where people feel valued. It involves individualized consideration, where you recognize each employee’s unique strengths and provide personalized mentorship. This is the essence of being a leader, not just a manager. You support your team’s growth, help them identify their path, and give them the perspective they need to excel.

Putting Energy Management into Practice

The first practical change was to prioritize connection before correction. As Taylor Scott outlines, we must connect, serve, and engage before we can effectively coach and inspire. I stopped seeing pre shift meetings as a time to issue orders. Instead, they became a time to celebrate wins, share stories, and align on our shared purpose: creating feelings worth returning to. Next, I worked to balance accountability with autonomy. Micromanagement frustrates teams and stifles creativity. I learned to trust my team, empowering them to make decisions and solve problems on their own. This meant replacing control with guidance. It meant leading by example and demonstrating the collaborative behaviors I wanted to see in them. My role shifted from having all the answers to stimulating their intellect and encouraging innovative solutions. Finally, I embraced vulnerability. I started openly admitting when I made a mistake or did not know something, which showed my team that it was safe for them to do the same. This authenticity built trust far more effectively than any display of authority ever could. We began to see challenges not as failures, but as opportunities for everyone to learn and grow together.

The Ripple Effect on Service and Success

The results of this shift were profound. A team that feels seen, heard, and trusted becomes a source of positive energy that is palpable to guests. When employees are genuinely motivated and inspired, they go the extra mile not because a procedure demands it, but because they want to. Their engagement transforms the customer experience and elevates the entire brand’s reputation. Happy, engaged staff lead to better service, and research shows that businesses with satisfied employees see as much as a 21% increase in profitability. Our team became more resilient, adaptable, and proactive. The operational excellence I had been chasing through rigid control emerged naturally from a culture of empowerment and mutual respect. Ultimately, the journey from managing the floor to managing the energy was a journey toward becoming a more human leader. It taught me that the most powerful tool in hospitality is not a system or a standard, but a meaningful connection. By focusing on the emotional core of our work, we not only deliver exceptional service, we build a community where everyone can thrive.