Leadership Evaluation

An Overview of the Leader and their Leadership Achievements

Leadership involves strategic judgments using effective communication and direction, elevating individuals' enthusiasm or motivation to work towards a common cause. Wylie (2021) viewed Arne Sorenson, the former president of Marriott International, as one of the genius business leaders in the entire hotel industry; this enabled him to develop large projects, including the growth of Marriott's international presence in more than 120 countries, innovation of new technologies, and remodelling, part of the initiative that allowed mobile check-ins and keyless entry. For the case study of Howard University (2021), he asked for explanations on how the intensity and the progress can be sustained over time, saying that diversity and inclusion become the key drivers for staff development, business community leaders giving a good example of their leadership in the sphere of corporate social responsibility and strategic thinking, combined with innovation and social changes.

What Makes Sorensen an Effective Leader

An effective leader is determined by the level of competence provided, measured through inspiration to build cooperation and management styles, and by always leading by example; this set up a clear goal for Marriott International, in which Sorenso made the people adapt to the culture and work ethics that the vision would establish, and that contributed to one of the major causes of the successful leadership style (Salas 2017). The leadership style enhances creativity, gives the staff energy, seeks shared ideas, and fosters community. Therefore, such a leadership style best describes a behaviourally transformational leader of an inspirer who inspires and motivates the subjects to perform their interests accordingly.

In addition, another characteristic that sets Sorenson apart as a leader is that he had a strict moral stand in all that his company practised. For instance, he was exemplary and a representative of integrity and corporate social responsibility; the company took this as its model for operating (Salas 2017). Sorensen also focused on downstream productivity, reducing usage to 30% of energy and water, and influencing company brand diversity and inclusiveness. According to Maldonado and Marquez (2023), a leader's vision is all about the philosophy of leading, where one prepares a cohort based on ethical leadership theories. Hence, they include individuals who lead with the ethical behavioural system and act in the best interests of the stakeholders.

Another instance that demonstrates the leadership capability of Arne Sorenson was the Marriott data breach of 2018, when Marriott announced that the personal information of up to 500 million guests had been accessed by hackers (Salas 2017). Sorenson responded transparently and apologised to all the guests affected, expressing self-accountability and commitment to coping with the problem. Thus, Sorenson led by example in communicating matters transparently and with accountability, delivering what was required to overcome the company's most crucial challenge (Economicclub.org 2022). Therefore, in the process, he stood as the leader responsible for responsive leadership in times of crisis and uncertainty.

Is Sorensen an Ethical Leader or Not?

The leadership by Sorenson resonates with transformational leadership theory and ethical leadership theory. As such, charismatic leadership, intellectual stimulation, individualised consideration, and idealised influence reflect in work within persuasion and uplift toward a shared vision (Economicclub.org 2022). In addition, Sorenson's practices of ethics in leadership underline an emphasis on integrity, social responsibility, and fairness, which are the key to bringing an organisation into the limelight of success and the stakeholders' trust.

The key ethical concerns that make the followers pay attention to Sorenson entail transparency, integrity, and accountability. Because of the authenticity and honesty in leadership, the public draws toward Sorenson (Howard University, 2021). For example, transparency in every decision-making process, cautious communication with stakeholders, and holding Sorenson responsible for the underlying activities. Thus, he would handle situations where high ethical standards demanded correcting mistakes.

The criteria that Maldonado and Márquez (2023) outlined as being reflective of an ethical leader would indicate that Sorenson's aspect of leadership is based on decision-making, genuineness, and excellent communication skills. Following Wylie (2021), the place of ethics in leadership is to ensure truthfulness, transparency, quality, and respect between the leader and their subject. Sorenson represented such elements that gave his people trust in showing his wrong sides and urging them to act morally. Additionally, Maldonado and Márquez (2023) share that in this phase of ethical leadership, leaders outwardly start adhering to this principle in decision-making, thus creating a positive organisational culture in which employees feel at ease to take up ethical ideas and contribute proactively towards the further growth and prosperity of the organisation.

Sorenson demonstrates real-world leadership skills in responding to the corporate scandal, nailing the firm's reputation. Contrary to making a cover-up or even denials, Sorenson took full responsibility for the mistake, carefully studied, and instituted measures that would have been used to prevent a similar happening in the future (Economicclub.org 2022). The kind of action was timely, restoring confidence and proving to the organisation that Sorenson was a man of ethics, even in challenging situations.

Sorenson should be treated as an ethics-concerned leader, whereby his leadership style should be characterised by principles such as transparency and accountability. As indicated in the case, he was accessible to the followers by dealing openly and fairly with ethical issues and setting a pace for the rest within the organisation (economicclub.org, 2022). Therefore, his dedication to ethical leadership fosters a culture of integrity and respect, earning the trust of stakeholders.

An Outline as to What Makes Sorensen Inspirational

Attributes and traits that make an inspiring leader different include influencing people to follow their lead. Integrity, authenticity, service as a role model, and hard work are essential attributes of an inspiring leader. The Sorensen Marriott International leadership inspired accordingly in empowering others in light of that same need (Maldonado and Márquez, 2023). This outline will examine the critical elements of Sorenson's leadership that make him an inspiring leader, highlighting his behaviours, actions, and messages that influence others to become good leaders.

1. 1. Visionary Leadership:

• The motivational effect from Sorenson within leadership at Marriott International is oriented forward and the attractiveness of leaders leading into the image of the future. He expresses the vision to attract others who want to be drawn in and contribute toward the company's objectives (Economicclub.org 2022).
• By innovation in growth and high performance, Sorenson pushes others to think beyond and look for growing better. His vision breaks barriers by allowing open-mindedness to change while considering their career goals.

1. 2. Authenticity and Empathy:

• Authenticity and empathy support the idea that leadership has the qualities of being inspiring. Sorenson's honest speech also shows a touch of personal connection in a way that individuals would reflect humanity with attention to their welfare (Salas, 2017).
• Through actions and great interpersonal communication skills, Sorenson's involvement with experiences and perspectives builds trust, loyalty, and respect, where they are valued, and their confidence is boosted.

1. 3. Leading by Example:

• Sorenson leads by example, and his integrity and capability inspire many individuals to handle crises and promote sustainability with dedication and perseverance (Salas 2017).
• His work encourages others to maintain standards, stay strong during tough times, and create a significant difference in their spheres of influence and communities.

Individual Reflection on Leadership

Leadership involves shaping people towards the successful accomplishment of objectives set. As per Maldonado and Marquez's (2023) study, it would be defined as moulding a well-communicated vision through uniting people and empowering all to allow in their abilities and brainpower, forming an adorable future while fostering an excellent collaborative work environment from which a memorable guest experience. With all these dynamics, ambiguity, and industry growth, hospitality leadership is very sensitive to a customer-oriented sector. Therefore, set in indefinable changes and unpredictable customer reactions, as a leader, this calls for practical work at different levels with communication, supporting, and motivating team members at that time, which involves decision-making.

From a leader's point of view, being empathetic should help me reach the highest level in the management of the hospitality sector. Noting that employees are essential to any business, empathy is a powerful tool to help improve relationships by building trust in co-working, cooperation, and job satisfaction (Maldonado and Marquez 2023). Therefore, this is a drive towards the successful attainment of satisfaction and loyalty, as I am fully committed to practising an improvement that includes leadership and self-reflection in my leadership skills. Besides effective leadership being the growth process, I am passionate about understanding such habits from first-hand experienced hospitality industry leaders so that I can lead in this field with established connections and empathy displayed.