Senior executives can't always enjoy the immediate results of their hard work and Brett Butcher's rise through the hotel industry, from graduate trainee to chief executive of Langham Hotels International, has seen him letting go of instant gratification and taking a longer term approach.
'What comes across my desk now is far less urgent than it used to be, it is more forward-thinking, more strategic,' Mr Butcher said.
He has come to appreciate the benefits of this position. 'Once you can reconcile yourself with the fact that you are not going to see the immediate fruits of your labour, it is a fun role,' he said. 'You can make great things happen.'
The most enjoyable part of a senior role was being given the power to effect change, he said. 'Any leader has to think they can make a difference and I believe I can. I have ideas, I can lead and motivate people and, together with the team, can build a great hotel company. That's what wakes me up in the morning engaged and excited about what I am doing.'
As the Langham Hotel group is relatively small, with nine hotels in operation, any changes made by Mr Butcher are felt quickly throughout the organisation. This is particularly satisfying for him. 'We can actually put things in place that the bigger companies can only dream of doing,' he said. 'We have that ability to act quickly and deploy faster.'
Since becoming chief executive this year, Mr Butcher has addressed two main challenges. Firstly, he has concentrated on leading his team of 4,500 staff by focusing on perfecting the organisational quality of the company, the effectiveness of its communication systems, on providing a clear and inspirational vision and brand, and making sure all levels of the company are working towards the same goals. On a practical level, this has meant brainstorming ideas and finding ways to turn the best ones into real propositions.
Secondly, he is continually looking for opportunities for growth. A great deal of his time is spent convincing hotel owners, financiers and developers of the abilities of the company and trying to put together partnerships and deals that will lead to new hotels being developed.