Leading Through Care: Aka Ali-Kerr on Soft Skills, Culture, and Trust in Hospitality скачать в хорошем качестве

Leading Through Care: Aka Ali-Kerr on Soft Skills, Culture, and Trust in Hospitality

In Episode 7 of MustardHub Voices: From the Frontlines, Julie sits down with Aka Ali-Kerr, Director of Human Resources at Andaz Miami Beach, part of the Hyatt Hotels portfolio, to explore what people-first leadership truly looks like in hospitality. With more than 25 years in HR and a background in psychology, Aka shares why soft skills are often the biggest differentiator between good leaders and great ones. Drawing from her global career journey from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S., she explains how culture, trust, and intentional leadership behaviors directly impact engagement, retention, and performance in frontline environments. This conversation dives into leading multi-generational teams, navigating emotional intelligence on the front lines, embracing technology without losing the human touch, and why leaders must help employees understand the “why” behind their work. Aka also introduces her six leadership mandates—care with action, consistency with accountability, and competence with the right attitude—and explains why leadership is a badge of honor, not power. It’s a powerful, thoughtful episode for hospitality leaders and anyone responsible for building cultures where people feel cared for, respected, and motivated to stay.