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Ravi Rai: Learning is an Ocean and the known is just a drop

Today’s Traveller #Know Your Leader motivational initiative invites  Ravi Rai, Cluster General Manager, Accor Hotels, Andhra Pradesh to share his experiences, his journey, and some unknown facts about him that keep him going.

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This, in turn, will motivate teams to delve into themselves and bring out their lesser-known selves.

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes the right words are just what you need to make it through the day, to inspire your team, or to change your perspective.

Ravi Rai
Ravi Rai
Cluster General Manager
Accor Hotels, Andhra Pradesh

Today’s Traveller:   How do you keep up your team’s morale?

Ravi Rai: Accor Group’s success is built on strong human values.  We place people at the heart of what we do, – and nurture a real passion for service and achievements beyond limits.  We foster a culture of inclusion, care, and acceptance in every individual at Accor.  It is imbibed in all of us.

My team is my strength. My goal is to make each one of them a proactive person with enthusiasm to further grow and learn.  A pat on the back, a word of encouragement, one on one sessions, give them enough tools to ask for feedback, appreciate them, recognition, train the managers to become better coaches are all ways that I abide to follow to keep up my team’s morale.

Today’s Traveller:      A major milestone that shaped you as a Leader?

Ravi Rai:  When I sit and think I ask myself- is legacy important for one to become a great leader? I found my answer, that the great leaders I have worked with – seldom think about legacy as to what they will pass forward, or transition to the next person, organization etc.

Legacy is the foundation core from which everything else flows over the course of time, wisdom, values, industry knowledge, innovative thought, individual growth, idea tested, opportunity & risk taken, and every time you empower others to step out of their comfort zone and successfully complete a challenging task. 

I am one of those fortunate who had an opportunity to work with some of the great leaders. Working with Taj taught me and provided a great exposure towards being customer-centric, working with Accor groomed me to possess better business acumen and market intelligence. It is a continual process. Learning is an Ocean and the known is just a drop.

Today’s Traveller:     How do you approach a challenge?

Ravi Rai:   I believe challenges offer growth. They create opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them and discover that we can overcome difficulty when we try hard enough to get what we want.

The first thing I do is, I do not react immediately to any situation, or lose my calm. I take some time to get used to the challenge, define the problem, put things into perspective, think of the worst that will happen, be confident, divide the problem into smaller pieces and look at it in a positive way.

Today’s Traveller:     What is that one thing that you have learnt during the Covid19 pandemic?

Ravi Rai:  Destiny has thrown at us some very important life lessons which have disguised and narrowed themselves into Covid 19. Compassion, Optimism, Vulnerability, Disaster Management, and most importantly Introspection.

The hustle and bustle of our life had left us with no time to introspect, which actually the lockdown phase has done. So, I will say introspection has indeed helped me to open my mind to so many important things in life which really do matter!

Today’s Traveller:     What is that one thing that you cannot miss? 

Ravi Rai:    I listened to music ever since I was a kid. No matter the device, no matter the media, music has always found a way into my heart. Personally, I prefer Instrumental music that can transmit feelings as well as a vocalist. They help me feel lifted up and encouraged to go on. 

Today’s Traveller:    Which non-professional activities give you energy and satisfaction?

Ravi Rai:   I really enjoy biking, because it is thrilling and a fun sport to do.  Its speed gives me energy and satisfaction, and when I am riding on my bike I feel that I am free and relaxed. The fascinating experience that open-air riding offers is practically unmatched, and you can be sure that no vehicle can come close to providing it.  

Read More: Corporate Connect