The hospitality industry is constantly evolving, which presents challenges from changing customer and employee preferences to technological advancements. Future leaders must, therefore, equip themselves with essential competencies in strategic and technological development while adeptly managing evolving guest and employee expectations. This will probably necessitate re-evaluating and re-imagining future leadership styles in the hospitality industry, which need to be further explored. This study aims to explore what essential competencies and skills future leaders in the hotel industry need and the leadership challenges they will face if these competencies are lacking. Inspired by Bharwani and Talib’s [(2017). Competencies of hotel general managers: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(1), 393–418] competency framework, we conducted semi-structured, individual interviews including 14 experienced general managers from the Norwegian hotel industry. Key findings from the data analysis underscored the significance of communication, problem-solving, and self-management skills. Moreover, contextual leadership emerged as a pivotal aspect, underlining the necessity of adaptable leadership skills tailored to diverse hotel needs. Our study extends Bharwani and Talib’s competency framework by highlighting the need for education and experience, understanding culture and language contextually, and creativity-fostering skills in future leaders.
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