Experts are asking, are leaders still caught in the 20th Century? 1:5 would trust a stranger before their own boss and feel there is no investment in intelligence but in control.

It is an interesting theory being developed; one which is worth a moment’s reflection. The argument is that many are still operating as we were in the 1990s and that there has been little evolution in leadership or management thinking at board level. There is a natural friction emerging as each emerging generation is better educated than the one before but companies have struggled to trust each following generation and instead opted for greater controls. It is therefore natural that many younger talent would feel disengaged in such a scenario.

The argument goes on to ask whether leaders, when discussing ROI, use to ask if they are investing in intelligence or just more of the same?

Why is it, it is asked, that leaders from the 1990s think they are better at managing 21st century business than those who have grown up in the era? The answer is experience but experience too can create barriers to progress, outdated thinking which inevitably will lead to the kind of disengagement research is highlighting all the time.

Business needs to be brave so that it can think differently. This needs to be the age of the Return on Investment in Intelligence.

For hospitality, there are many questions being posed and there are clear examples of the above in the retail and casual dining sectors who have worked so hard to evolve their service offers. They have arguably been the most threatened during the pandemic and they have responded, creating new personalised experiences for customers which engage. Many are now looking to how both hotels and food service respond? Have these sectors also adapted and changed?

There is a slightly comical scenario emerging which sees those returning from Furlough asking why not much change has taken place during their time away, why there appears to be little or no clear vision? They are being offered mentoring schemes in the plenty but understandably feel bemused as those mentoring are the same as those they are questioning?

One can understand the point. Service offers do need to evolve and develop so it is a fair argument which asks the question- will business invest in intelligence over control?