The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Co-Founder Horst Schulze

Part 1

Part 2

The phrase “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen” came from a paper 16-year-old Horst Schulze wrote while attending hotel school in Germany. Schulze earned an “A” on the paper, and it became the unforgettable motto of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where he served as President and COO responsible for the $2 billion operations worldwide.

Under Schulze’s leadership, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company became the first service-based company to be awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — twice. After leaving Ritz-Carlton, he went on to found The Capella Hotel Group, a luxury hotel company that manages some of the most elite properties worldwide, and gave Schulze the opportunity to further define the luxury hotel industry.

In this podcast, the first of a two-part series, listeners will learn how Schulze’s disciplined, Old World upbringing fostered a fresh and cutting-edge approach to business leadership—one that has powerfully influenced top leaders far beyond the hospitality industry.

Join us for an unforgettable conversation on the power of dedication, teamwork, and self-respect to create a business culture that manages both to empower your team and accept nothing less than excellence.

You will learn:

Part 1

5:00 The genesis of “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”
7:00 How to next-level your organization’s purpose statement.
10:30 The difference between management and leadership.
13:45 Three things every customer expects.
15:00 The fastest way to develop customer loyalty.
18:00 The non-negotiables that form the backbone of Ritz-Carlton’s culture.

Part 2

5:30 The difference between mission and vision
7:00 How to hire for purpose, not function.
8:00 How to frame a common objective in a way that unifies people.
9:00 Horst Schulze’s definition of a team.
12:00 What you gain by “selecting” people to work with you rather than “hiring” them.
13:30 The one thing that must be in every employee orientation.

Resources:

Order a copy of Mr. Schulze’s book Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise.
Connect with Mr. Schulze on his webiste and invite him to speak at your next event.
Connect with Mr. Schulze on LinkedIn.

View All Episodes

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: Lessons learned leading through the darkest hour

Episode 66 | Baseball, Basketball
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe asks: Do you schedule time to think?

Episode 108 | Gymnastics
Carla Vernon, Amazon Vice President of Consumables, asks: Athletes have a warm-up routine, does your corporate team?

Episode 94 | Dance
Dolf Berle, Topgolf CEO, asks: Do you practice courage?

Episode 1 | Track & Field
Amicus Therapeutics CEO John Crowley teaches how to be purpose-driven.

Episode 69 | Football
Condoleezza Rice encourages you to build bridges as a leader.

Episode 82 | College Football Playoff Committee
Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy reflects on the most exhilarating moment of his life.

Episode 112 | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Netflix CFO Spencer Neumann asks: Are you good at saying no to protect your priorities?

Episode 110 | Harvard Football
Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, asks: Do you have a curious mind?

Episode 22 | Rugby
Broadcast Legend Lesley Visser says: Treat every opportunity like it’s the Super Bowl.

Episode 111
Longtime Waffle House President & COO Bert Thornton teaches how to engage your team in conversation

Episode 57 | Football
ESPN’s Jay Bilas says: Leaders should be demanding not demeaning.

Episode 88 | Basketball
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons Part Owner and Former NFL Running Back, Asks: Will You Choose to Be Bitter or Better?

Episode 37 | Football
Simon Sinek, Team Building Expert, asks: How do we win a game that has no end?

Episode 34 | Special Edition
Rick Hendrick, NASCAR Hall of Famer, asks: Are you valuing your people over profits?

Episode 27 | Baseball
Louis Carr, President of BET Media, asks: Can you overcome two pandemics?

Episode 2 | Track & Field
Chick-Fil-A Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Rodney Bullard shares a leader’s need for grace and forgiveness

Episode 45 | Football
David Ross, Chicago Cubs Manager, Joins Us For a World Series Special Edition

Episode 14 | Baseball
Dawn Hudson, longtime NFL Chief Marketing Officer and Pepsi NA President, asks: Do you look at your company from the outside?

Episode 21 | Tennis
John C. Maxwell, Leadership Expert, Asks: Do You Know The Top Time-Waster In Leaders’ Lives?

Episode 8 | Basketball
Fred Perpall, CEO of The Beck Group, asks: Do you have a deep understanding of your teammates?

Episode 20 | Basketball
Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, asks: Are You Willing to Go Off-Script When the Situation Calls for it?

Episode 18 | Basketball
CEO of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Brandon Landry asks: What is your underdog story?

Episode 39 | Basketball
Xavier Williams, CEO of American Virtual Cloud Technologies, Asks: Does The Content You Read Expand Your Thinking?

Episode 9 | Basketball
Carl Eschenbach, Sequoia Capital Partner, Asks: Do You Hate To Lose Or Love To Win?

Episode 6 | Wrestling
Savannah Bananas Owner Jesse Cole says: Stop doing what your customers hate.

Episode 85 | Baseball