Emphasising the four most important practices that can "help leaders remain focused on the front line as they grow", the article showcases The Oberoi Group among the companies that have "maintained a founder's mentality as their companies have grown." Having examined hundreds of companies in 40 countries and having talked directly to some of the greatest founders of our time, the writer says "One of the great front-line obsessives of all time was M.S. Oberoi, founder of the Oberoi Group, a leading luxury-hotel company. CEO Vikram Oberoi told us how he would find his grandfather, even in his 90s and with failing eyesight, scrutinizing customer comment cards one-by-one on Sunday mornings."
Praising the employees for "directly creating value for the customer" administratively and financially, the writer adds that the employees "get special training in emotional intelligence, with two aims: listening with empathy, and understanding each guest’s unique needs." By empowering his employees to take individual initiatives to serve customers as well as possible, "Oberoi established a culture by which all employees shared in his obsession with the front line—which is why, more than a decade after his death, his hotels are still some of the world’s most successful."
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Great leaders do these four things Maintaining Your Focus on the Front Lines as Your Company Grows