Turnover isn't the problem. Underprepared leadership is.
Your best operators were promoted because they could perform, not because they were prepared to lead people. We partner with hotel, restaurant, travel, and destination organizations to stop losing their best leaders to burnout, turnover, and underpreparedness.
Trusted by organizations and conferences including
"The real labor crisis in hospitality is not labor. It is leadership."HOTELS Magazine
Every sector is paying more and still coming up short.
Higher wages, better perks, faster hiring. Organizations have tried it all. The data points to the same pattern everywhere: the gap is in who is leading the people.
of hotels are still understaffed, even though 70% are offering higher wages.
AHLA, March 2026short-staffed operators say it significantly limits their ability to grow.
National Restaurant Association, April 2026and chefs are the roles operators expect to struggle most to find in 2026.
National Restaurant Association, 2026of all industries for employee engagement.
Culture Amp, July 2026average cost just to hire one executive, nearly 7x a non-executive hire. That is before training or lost momentum.
SHRM, 2025These are not five separate problems. They are symptoms of one.
People leave managers. Unprepared leaders cannot hold on to good talent.
You are not developing leaders from within fast enough, so every opening becomes an outside search.
Every departure adds recruiting, overtime, and retraining costs you never budgeted for.
When leadership is inconsistent, service is inconsistent. Your guests feel it first.
Your strongest leaders are carrying everything, and no one is ready to step in when they leave.
The organizations that thrive over the next five years will not wait for the labor market to fix itself. They will invest in leaders who retain talent, handle pressure, and build cultures people want to stay in.
The Lead Well, Lead Wise™ Executive Academy
A leadership development experience that takes your strong operators and prepares them to lead people, teams, and multiple locations. Built on the S.E.E.A.T.™ framework and grounded in real hospitality and travel operations.
- Two formats to choose from, so it fits how your organization works
- DiSC assessment for every participant, so leaders learn to reach every style on their team
- Workbook and tools leaders use on shift the very next day
- Executive coaching available for the leaders you are grooming for the next seat
Choose the format that fits your organization
Same S.E.E.A.T.™ framework, same DiSC insight, delivered the way your leaders learn best.
Online self-paced
Leaders learn on their own schedule, between shifts and across locations. Ideal for spread-out teams and busy operations.
Cohort
Leaders learn together over several weeks, building peer support with others facing the same pressures.
Created by Elaine Robinson Beattie, CEO and Founder of the Lead Well, Lead Wise™ Executive Academy and creator of the S.E.E.A.T.™ framework.
How S.E.E.A.T.™ solves each pain point
| Pillar | What it builds | The pain it solves |
|---|---|---|
| S · Self-Awareness | Knowing your impact, blind spots, and how you recover from setbacks | Blind-spot decisions and leader-team misalignment |
| E · Emotional Intelligence | Managing pressure and spotting burnout early | Stress that spreads, service that slips, and burnout |
| E · Education | Continuous learning and a mentoring culture | A weak bench and no internal pipeline |
| A · Accountability | Ownership, clear standards, and healthy boundaries | Inconsistent standards, blame, and unsustainable workloads |
| T · Transformation | Adaptability and an inclusive culture | Resistance to change and losing diverse talent |
Executive Coaching
One-on-one coaching for the senior leaders you are preparing for the next seat. Add it to the Academy so your investment keeps working long after the program ends.
Ideal for new GMs, leaders stepping into multi-unit roles, and high-potential managers you cannot afford to lose.
Talk about your leadersWhatever matters most to you, here is what you can expect.
Promotions from within
88% of our coaching clients advance within six months. Fewer outside searches, faster fills.
Leaders who energize teams
Leaders who connect, communicate across styles, and build cultures people want to be part of.
A steady, supported process
A clear path from start to finish, with a partner beside your leaders the whole way.
A proven framework
5,000+ leaders trained, validated DiSC assessments, and a five-pillar model tied to measurable outcomes.
Do the math on one empty seat.
It costs an average of $35,879 just to hire one executive. That is before onboarding, training, and the momentum your team loses while the seat sits empty.
Developing the leaders you already have is how you stop paying that bill again and again. At Tupelo Honey, 88% of participants were promoted within three to six months. That is a bench you build from the inside.
Cost-per-hire: SHRM, 2025What is leadership turnover costing you?
$107,637in hiring costs alone
Based on the average cost to hire one executive. Your true cost is higher once you add onboarding, lost productivity, and the turnover that follows a leader out the door.
Talk through your numbers
The keynote is only the beginning.
A keynote gets your leaders talking. The Academy and executive coaching keep that energy working long after the event ends, so the room full of inspired leaders becomes a bench of ready ones.
Keynotes and workshops for leadership conferences, GM meetings, and industry events.
- Promoted, Not Prepared. For leaders promoted for performance but never trained to lead people.
- Leading Short-Staffed. Running the operation when the team is thin and the guests, diners, and passengers keep coming.
- Culture Over Coverage. Protecting culture without leaders quietly burning out.
- Fem-Leadership Edge. For women tired of leading like someone else.
Leaders developed across Tupelo Honey's 26 locations, including Sandy Springs, Chattanooga, Myrtle Beach, Asheville, Huntsville, Denver, and Grand Rapids, plus the corporate office. GMs, executive chefs, and managers who have gone on to lead bigger teams and step into the GM seat.
"As a coach, Elaine has a rare combination of courage, compassion, and determination, helping you to fulfill your leadership calling while also spurring you to action and results! I had the pleasure of working with Elaine over the course of several years to launch a diversity and inclusion initiative that became a passion project for our team. Elaine also helped us establish Aspire, our leadership development program for our senior managers. Over six years, we promoted several leaders to executive chef, assistant general manager, and general manager. We were growing very fast, and this gave us leaders who were ready to step into their executive roles. As a teacher and facilitator, Elaine is a compelling and engaging educator, unpacking even difficult topics with engaging ease. I would highly recommend taking any opportunity to work with Elaine. It will change you for the better!"
"Before Lead Well, Lead Wise and learning about the DiSC profile, I was treating people all the same. I did not realize I needed to communicate differently because of the different styles. When I was in the program, I was Assistant General Manager. After completing the program, I got promoted to GM."
"This program is very insightful, especially for new leaders. Many of the lessons here I had to learn the hard way. It has further stabilized me in my role and shown me that leadership is about more than managing well. It's about leading wisely."
"The DiSC profile gave me language for my leadership style and provided guidance on how to develop and support other styles that work under me. The program gave me practical tools to be more proactive."
"The coaching process helped me build confidence in my role and strengthen my relationship with my executive chef. She listened deeply, held me accountable, and gave me direct yet supportive feedback."
"Elaine pushed me in ways few others have. I now better understand my own needs and communication style, especially when working with colleagues whose leadership styles differ from mine."
"The online program was just what I needed. I was able to do it at my own pace. The videos were long enough to capture your attention, but not so long that it felt like you were being lectured at. Her personality and passion were clearly visible in every single video. The stories were fun and gave insight to show that she knew what she was talking about. I like the recaps at the end that told me what my immediate next steps were.This also brought to my attention that I was doing parts of leadership that I didn't know I was doing. The DiSC assessment was fascinating because not only did it give me insight into myself, but it gave me something to look out for in others. All the concepts just prove how much time and energy went into crafting this course."
Xanthia GomezFront Office Assistant Manager, Hyatt Place Sumter/Downtown, South Carolina
We know this pressure because we lived it.
Elaine Robinson Beattie, CEO and Founder of the Lead Well, Lead Wise™ Executive Academy and creator of the S.E.E.A.T.™ framework, started in the hotel business as a management trainee. Her first management position was assistant housekeeping manager in New Orleans. From there, she opened hotels and restaurants for Sheraton, Loews Hotels, Hilton Hotels, IHG, and Delaware North, and learned firsthand that performing and leading people are not the same thing.
Her gift has always been spotting talent and walking alongside people until they reach the seat they want. That became the S.E.E.A.T.™ framework, and it is the heart of everything we do, backed by over 35 years in leadership.
MSML, Montreat College. MRL, Candler School of Theology at Emory University. BA, Simmons University. WABC Registered Corporate Coach. Certified DiSC Facilitator. Author of Sis, You Earned It. Host of Leadership Talks: The Things We Wish We Knew.
What leaders usually ask before we partner.
Do not see your question here? Ask us directly. We are happy to talk it through.
Who is the Academy designed for?
General managers and assistant general managers, multi-unit and regional leaders, department heads and executive chefs, airport, airline, and concessions managers, and women rising into executive roles. In short, the strong operators you are counting on to lead at the next level.
How many leaders can we enroll?
Every partnership is built around your organization. It can be a small group of high-potential leaders or leaders across several locations. We will recommend the right size and format for your goals.
Does it work across multiple locations?
Yes. The online self-paced format fits leaders spread across cities and shifts. At Tupelo Honey, leaders from across its 26 locations and the corporate office went through the program.
What formats are available?
The Academy is offered online self-paced or as a cohort. Keynotes and workshops are delivered at your conference, leadership meeting, or industry event. Executive coaching can be added for the leaders you are preparing for the next seat.
How do we measure results?
We start by agreeing on what success looks like for your organization, such as promotions from within, retention of the leaders you invested in, and stronger teams. Every participant completes a DiSC assessment, so growth is grounded in real insight, not guesswork.
How does pricing work?
Every engagement is scoped to your group size, format, and goals. After one conversation, we send a custom proposal so you know exactly what you are investing in and what you can expect.
Can we combine speaking, the Academy, and coaching?
Yes, and many organizations do. A keynote starts the conversation, the Academy builds the skills, and executive coaching keeps your top leaders growing long after the program ends.
Are you set up as a vendor?
Yes. Elaine Robinson Beattie LLC is a registered supplier with the City of Atlanta. Our capability statement and W-9 are available on request for your procurement team.
Whether you want to discuss your team's leadership readiness or request a proposal, it starts with one conversation.
Schedule Your SessionStill building your business case? Request our Succession Readiness Guide for HR and L&D leaders
Elaine Robinson Beattie LLC · Registered City of Atlanta supplier · DUNS 124040194 · NAICS 611430, 541612, 541618 · Capability statement and W-9 available on request