Strategic Leadership and Crisis Management in the Hospitality Industry

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship between strategic leadership and crisis management in the continuously changing hospitality industry, specifically during pandemics. It explains how strategic leaders, known for their forward-thinking and flexibility, are crucial for effective crisis management. The chapter analyzes decision-making during crises, emphasizing the importance of guest safety, adaptive innovation, ethical leadership, and sustainability. It emphasizes the role of timely, transparent communication in addressing concerns and maintaining stakeholder trust. The chapter also explores stakeholder engagement strategies, including segmentation, effective communication channels, and collaborative feedback, to enhance resilience and facilitate recovery. This chapter examines the disconnect between strategic leadership and crisis management, offering invaluable insights for practitioners, academics, and policymakers in navigating the challenges posed by pandemics in the hospitality industry, with the goal of avoiding failure, vulnerability, inflexibility, and sustained decline.