Beyond Restaurants: How 'Unreasonable Hospitality' Can Transform Any Industry

Every six months, I read a book that inspires me so much I can't stop recommending it to my community. In December, it was "Hidden Potential" by Adam Grant; today, it's "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara. My friend Douglas Flora recommended this gem to me. His LinkedIn post caught my eye:

"Yesterday, I finished a book that was incredibly inspiring: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. This book should be required reading for anyone who cares about patient experience. Guidara shares numerous insights from his journey building the best restaurant in the world, many of which hospitals and practices could greatly benefit from."

Though the book focuses on running a restaurant, its lessons apply to countless industries. I especially recommend it to anyone in higher education.

As I read, I found myself reflecting on our student experiences and how we're investing in adding value to our students and community. I also picked up some great management and team-building ideas. Will Guidara does an awesome job sharing his experiences and the thought process behind making Eleven Madison Park (EMP) the world's best restaurant.

10 Thoughts

Here are some thoughts that struck me while reading:

1. Take care of the whole, and you'll take care of the parts. Your commitment should be to the overall health of the organization. Don't let one team member distract you from the big picture.

2. Don't cannonball into management. We often reward drastic changes and aggressive moves, but good managers listen before they shake things up.

3. Slow down to speed up. Build strong foundations before you complicate things.

4. Don't let great ideas die just because you haven't figured out how to execute them yet. Have faith that you'll work it out.

5. Protect what makes you unique like it's your secret sauce.

6. Serve others the way you'd want to be served.

7. Leaders need to decide: are they a coach or a player? You can't effectively do both at once.

8. Be ready to take criticism like a champ. Don't justify your mistakes; listen and learn.

9. Cut toxic behavior off at the knees. Address it now, not later.

10. Find your passion and geek out on it. Immerse yourself in becoming the absolute best at it.

There's this great quote from magician Raymond Joseph Teller that fits perfectly here: "Sometimes, magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect."

I really hope you grab this book and give it a read. I'd love to hear what you think about it.

So, what book are you currently recommending to everyone you know?

Best,

Dr. A