What Does Good Leadership Look Like for Hospitality in 2026?

Hospitality is a sector that is fundamentally human. Hunger is biology; connection is humanity. Restaurants are about more than just food: going out to eat is built on the act of service. A meal is a chance for human connection, satiating our need for social bonding alongside our physical hunger. This is why restaurants and other food spaces form a central part of communities around the world, and it’s why, for those working in this industry, it can feel very different than just a job. 

As a sector rooted in humanity, its greatest irony is how inhuman the treatment of our own people can be. Hospitality employs more than 330 million people globally. It’s a sector that is open to a sweeping variety of people from any background, home, race, religion, gender, sexuality and with or without education or credentials. Kitchens provide opportunity, comradery and social mobility for those who may be unlikely or unable to find it elsewhere. Kitchens are also high-pressure environments, where margins are tight, the work is physical and the hours are gruelling.    

The high-profile stories that have broken this year have served to shine a light on the propensity for abuse — a hidden darkness that has long been lurking behind the professional front-of-house smiles, and not for the first time. Much of the narrative focuses on the most shocking examples of abuse and how this should (of course) be relegated to the past. However, not being abused should be the bare minimum expectation for anyone clocking in at the start of a shift. To make hospitality a place that extends a meaningful welcome to its employees as well as its guests, we need much more than the mere absence of bad behaviour. And yet, when the conversation acts simply as a pile-on of horror stories and finger pointing at high-profile bad leaders, a glaring gap is emerging. We know that this is bad... so where is the good?  

Here at The SRA, we spend a lot of time talking and thinking about climate change and the ways the food system needs to change for the future. In having that conversation, we know empirically that telling negative stories over and over does not lead people to change. Doom and gloom may inspire anger and virality on social media, but if if you cannot see a future that you want to be part of, you will not be inspired to act for the sake of that future. The same lens needs to be applied to leadership.  

It’s time that we start telling the stories of how good kitchens work, what high functioning and highly functional models look like and how people have found ways to live fulfilling and deeply human lives in this industry. It’s time for a long, hard look at what it means to be a proactively good leader. 

After stories about Noma hit the media earlier this year, I was most taken by words written by Nobelhart & Schmutzig’s Billy Wagner. He wrote, "This isn't about Redzepi and Noma, but about how we all in the restaurant industry — especially those of us in leadership positions — want to shape change [...] Complex structures simply can't be reduced to individual names; nor should this lead us to absolve ourselves of responsibility or avoid even asking the fundamental question about the system. What we're seeing here isn't a problem of a few ‘bad apples’, but rather an expression of an industry that has thrived for decades on the narrative that toughness is synonymous with ambition and suffering, and that constant sacrifice is the necessary price for excellence.” 

The sector needs more than cautionary tales; if we’re going to build a new normal, we need a vision for what it means to be ambitious without the suffering. What does it mean to be excellent without sacrificing humanity in the process? We need actively positive and comprehensive policies and practices that create security, build confidence, support personal growth and allow for the challenges we all experience in simply being human. This is, ultimately, a practice of stewardship. Just like we need to be strong environmental stewards for the future of our planet, we must be strong social stewards for the future of our sector. 

Shifting the narrative 

We begin by changing the dialogue — not by ignoring stories of abuse when they surface, but by deliberately highlighting how to do things differently, celebrating the chefs and managers who are already leading their teams towards excellence through care and compassion. The stories we’ve been sharing on our social channels this month are part of our contribution to this, providing real-life examples of what a leader can offer to their team. 

And it’s past time to dismantle the notion that this is about work shyness. There is a narrative out there that points to Gen Z as lazy and entitled, overly focused on emotional safe spaces; the same “kids these days just don’t want to work anymore," spin that was, until recently, directed at Millennials. Recognising that we need to lead differently is not about working less, but about providing a space in which people can feel engaged and positive about their work. It’s understanding that creativity cannot truly flourish when people feel afraid, bitter, underappreciated or checked out. As Natalia Carreño Pombo of Chichería Demente in Colombia said in an interview with us this month, “When the people you work with are motivated, the team flows, has ideas, generates sales, builds trust and keeps the customer coming back.” Across the globe, this idea was echoed by Fredrik Eriksson of Långbro Värdshus. “A strong leader creates the right conditions for people to succeed. If I want the best from my team, I need to give them the right support.” 

The sector has been slow to change, but it is indeed changing. Today, we have the tools to support people and to understand leadership in ways that no previous generation has had at its disposal. Highlighting what good, strong, motivating leadership can look like will hopefully inspire more upcoming chefs and managers to reimagine their kitchen environments. 

So, what does modern leadership look like? 

Honesty and open dialogue are central to good leadership and a healthy work culture. Strong leaders are open to the supports that are needed for their teams to thrive, and will encourage feedback without letting ego get in the way. Natalia says leaders need to feel part of the team, not above it. “Understand that you are a player on a team. Play with the team. Teach the team. Learn from the team. Trust and build trust.” With ego historically quite a common issue among chefs, in particular, Billy argues that self-reflection is critical. As he said to us this month, "Make sure you know what triggers you — what makes you become an asshole — and try to work on that.”  

Many kitchens already have structures in place for how things should be done, preserving consistency in both standards and execution; building a strong company culture simply means putting structures and boundaries in place across other parts of the business, too, including robust policies for people management. 

Patrick Howden at So Let’s Talk does a fantastic job of explaining what we owe to our employees, and it is vastly more than simply weeding out abuse from our kitchens. Everyone on your team is a whole, complex human with a particular set of strengths and a wide range of needs. A strong work culture will have this whole-person perspective embedded into its operations, with systems in place to take care of the mental, physical and financial health of each of its employees.  

“I try and make sure that I understand the needs of the team,” said Chet Sharma of BiBi in London, speaking to us this month. “I want to make sure that I know how they're doing. I want to know how their families are. I want to understand what's going on in their lives.” Chet is an example of a chef who came up through typically demanding, high-pressure kitchens — and chose to build something entirely different. From a four-day working week and wellbeing support to learning and development opportunities and exemplary maternity and paternity policies, BiBi goes far beyond industry norms to take care of its team. 

One pet peeve of mine is the stereotypical staff handbook we've all encountered at one point — the one that proclaims, “We’re all family here”. The idea that employees are ‘like family’ is one that is persistent in service industries, and is deeply flawed. You cannot expect from them the grace your family members might give you when you behave badly, nor do they owe you the same degree of loyalty. The power is imbalanced when you as an employer have a high level of control over their livelihood. Ultimately, they are performing a service for a pay cheque, and therefore what creates a healthy dynamic is clear and kind recognition that your employees are, emphatically, not your family. Employee handbooks should be clear and comprehensive, setting out exactly what your team can expect from their tenure with you — across everything from working hours to parental leave, pay and progression. Effective handbooks don't just layn out policies; they translate values into behaviours. As Ceri Gott, Executive and Team Coach (and former Chief Growth & Culture Officer at Hawksmoor) wrote in her article for us this month, “Work hard and be nice to people” works because it is clear how everyone, in every role, should behave. Ultimately, it is that behaviour that drives culture. 

Handbooks should also include systems for open feedback and for grievances to be brought to light when necessary. This may not be the sexy side of HR, but having clear plans in place for these situations is so important for making people feel safe in their roles — and for providing management with a go-to action plan when things do go wrong. An excellent example is Nobelhart & Schmutzig's Guide of Conduct. More than an onboarding document, it explains the specific actions being taken, including investing time and money in diversity coaching, workshops and a ‘suggested reading’ list. They’ve also put in place a safety code that employees are encouraged to call if they feel unsafe during service, enabling management to protect workers, and appointed an external, independent ‘person of confidence’ to whom staff members can go to report an offence.  

What we owe to each other 

Much of this comes down to the question of what we owe to each other as human beings. And, in all honesty, the responses may differ from person to person. But as a leader, you can be transparent in laying out your commitments to the team. Ceri referred to laying out “five people promises [you] stand by,” and then ensuring that you are living up to those promises by asking.  

While different teams and environments will call for different leadership styles, understanding your retention rate will provide a clear indicator for when you’ve gotten it right. A constant churn of people is one of this sector’s highest costs, and one that largely can be avoided with the right attitude towards leadership. People who have been with your team for the long haul have a wealth of knowledge that will stand the test of time. Make it your business to provide a workplace worth staying in. 

And finally, know that, as Ceri noted, “people work for people". None of this is easy! “We don’t leave school knowing how to give feedback, handle a difficult conversation, manage our emotions or really listen," — these are fundamentally human skills and fundamentally human challenges. But they are a big part of what will make each of our businesses stronger and more resilient. As Fredrik points out, the ability to provide great service rests on the team being mentally present, which is only possible in a safe, supportive environment. “When the staff feel supported, that positive energy spreads throughout the restaurant. Guests notice it straight away.” That energy — the buzz and beauty of human connection — is what is magic about this industry. Let's make sure we protect it. 

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