My objective was to lead all hotels I managed to number one in their competitive set. I was running Hotel Triton in San Francisco,  at the time known as the “hippest hotel in America.” At a General Managers’ retreat, I stood up and committed to 100% occupancy in the month of August of that coming summer. No one to my knowledge anywhere, short of hotels dealing with local disaster teams, nailed 100% each day for 31 days.  100% means not even one room running empty.  At first my executive team was dumbfounded, resistant. Standing in what I had committed to, we talked about what it would take. We all got inspired and they took on the quest with me. That summer we accomplished the extraordinary—we achieved 100% occupancy throughout August.  The hotel surpassed its revenue goals, achieved the highest market penetration in the city’s history, and everyone on my team was transformed—each person went on to accomplish many things professionally and personally that they would never have taken on before.

I was able to clarify and give voice to my own vision for dental education. I saw my faculty shift from disseminating information to students for them to regurgitate back, to teaching each student to discover, to be adaptable, to think for themselves, to be true leaders in their chosen field. I am clear that our graduates will be fully prepared to effectively face a future of huge change due to technology and socio-economic forces. I saw the faculty and staff become one team, with deep respect for each other. I regularly hear them say how much they love their work and are deeply grateful to be here at Roseman. We are on the cutting edge of dental education in this country, and we all share a vision of what is possible for dental education everywhere. Barry’s work made this difference.

30% of the GMs made their impossible RGI and the rest exceeded what they budgeted! And the head office! We corporate officers were all eligible for 100% of the full year salary as a bonus—because Asia Pacific made so much money for Starwood. We were the only division who did this in the entire company. Bob Cotter, our President, said the Asia-Pacific division was the only division that met/exceed all its financial goals and that had formed a seamless team after the Starwood-Sheraton-Westin merger.

For those lucky enough to work with Barry, he coaches you in a series of mind-blowing self-revelations that dissolve the “box.”

If the executive team and staff could turn the company around, it would be one of the greatest successes of my career.

By the conclusion of our time with Barry, I had become a different kind of leader. My wife, my kids, and my employees all noticed something different. Peace at home and quality time with my wife and kids became a daily event. Projects at work that once seemed insurmountable became realities. My employees worked together taking on roles and responsibilities I never would have thought possible. Over the next few years our Information Technology staff created breakthroughs that revolutionized our industry. We subsequently obtained the coveted “CIO 100 Award” and the “Computerworld 100 Award” for two consecutive years; Hospitality Technology Leadership Awards; Best in Class Awards; and other distinguished honors.