“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
— Simon Sinek

Hospitality and leadership may sound like two different conversations – but they are, in fact, the same. Both are about how we make people feel. Both are about creating environments where others feel seen, supported, and safe to do their best work. And both start with showing up.

Last week, our team attended @HD Expo, one of the hotel design industry’s largest annual gatherings – a trade show and conference that brings hotel owners, brands, architects, designers, contractors, and product manufacturers together to mingle, network, and share experiences. At the same time, Continental Contractors held our annual leadership conference, with 12 team members flying in from more than 2,700 miles apart. Different rooms, different agendas – but one shared purpose: to connect, face to face, in an industry that’s built on relationships.

And that’s the heart of it. In hospitality and in leadership, presence is powerful.

Hospitality is often thought of in terms of service – welcoming guests, anticipating needs, making people feel at home. But in our line of work, it’s also how we treat one another as colleagues and collaborators. It’s the way we check in after a long project. The care we take in onboarding a new team member. The extra moment we spend making sure someone feels included in the conversation.

Leadership, when done right, isn’t so different. It’s not just directing work or making decisions. It’s extending care, building trust, and creating space for others to contribute. In our own leadership meeting, we talked about how to show up better for our teams, our clients, and our partners – and those conversations echoed the broader spirit of the conference happening around us.

We even connected with our competitors – contractors we might go head-to-head with on bids, but who, like us, care deeply about this industry. Those conversations weren’t guarded. They were generous. We shared lessons learned, laughed over common challenges, and walked away with the sense that we all do better when we grow together. That, too, is leadership. That, too, is hospitality.

Of course, we’re grateful for the technology that helps us manage projects from thousands of miles away. Tools that make us faster, leaner, and more connected. But even the best software can’t replicate what happens in a hallway chat or across a lunch table. It’s in those unscheduled moments that the real breakthroughs often happen.

When we’re face to face, it’s easier to read the room, sense tone, resolve conflict, and move forward. Human interaction adds depth to our understanding and gives context that just doesn’t come through in a screen share.

So here’s our biggest take-away from last week: don’t underestimate the value of showing up – in boardrooms, on job sites, and at industry events. We engaged with so many people this week, over meals and meetings, cocktails and concerts, and even on construction equipment. We spent time with new connections, and with people who feel more like family than colleagues. We remembered how important it is to make time for the conversations that don’t fit neatly on a calendar. We were reminded to be the kind of leaders who lead with hospitality.

We’re committed to continuing to do just that. Continental Contractors will be in New York for the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum in June, in Phoenix for The Lodging Conference in October, and back to New York for BDNY in November. If you’ll be at one of those events – or would like to meet in between – we’d love to schedule time together.

Camaraderie, conversation, connection – those are the things that keep this industry moving forward. Let’s keep showing up. For each other and the work we do together. For the guests at the properties we build and maintain. And for the people we get to share the challenges and rewards with who make it all worthwhile.