From Casks to Culture: Glenfiddich’s Guide to Hospitality Leadership

I walked 97km of the Speyside Way last week—legs tired, heart full—and visited Glenfiddich, where “family tradition” isn’t a slogan, it’s a practice you can feel. From the first hello to the last goodbye, the team led with warmth: smiles that reached the eyes, eye contact that said “we’re glad you’re here,” and a sense that our having travelled so far genuinely mattered. The facility itself told the same story. Every section of the property had a purpose, every tool a home, every surface spoke of care. Nothing about the experience felt accidental or performative; it was hospitality done right.

That spirit is leadership in action. A big welcome changes the room. In the first ten seconds, people decide whether to lean in or hold back; Glenfiddich made choosing “lean in” effortless. The lesson for leaders is simple: the tone you set in the opening moments of a meeting, town hall, or site visit shapes everything that follows. Start with gratitude, name the purpose, and acknowledge the effort people made to be in the room. When people feel seen, they show up differently.

Craft is love made visible. The immaculate, intentional environment wasn’t about perfectionism; it was about respect for the work, for the team, for the guest, and for the history. Standards weren’t hidden in a policy binder; they were alive in how the place looked and ran. Translate that to business: operational excellence is culture in 3D. Tidy spaces, clear signage, and visible quality cues teach “what good looks like” without a lecture. Your environment is always broadcasting; make sure it’s saying what you mean.

I also noticed that no detail was too small because no person was small. Pace was managed thoughtfully; questions—especially the “odd” ones—were welcomed with patience and delight. That’s not a script; that’s a value. Those micro-moments are where culture is learned. How you handle a latecomer, a basic question, or a tech hiccup will teach your organisation more about your values than any slide deck. Design for these moments. Decide in advance: what is the gracious, generous response we want to be known for?

Servant leadership was everywhere, and you could feel it. The energy wasn’t “look what we do,” it was “what can we do for you to make this even better?” That single question transforms observers into participants. Try making “How can I help?” a leadership reflex—at the top of one-on-ones, project kickoffs, and customer conversations. And then act quickly and visibly on what you hear. Follow-through is where servant leadership becomes trust.

And yes—fun matters. Hospitality isn’t meant to be stiff. The Glenfiddich team had spark: light humour, visible pride, and moments of play that didn’t dilute standards; they powered them. In business, healthy energy is a performance multiplier. Celebrate small wins in real time, give permission to smile, build simple rituals—a bell for a customer compliment, a shout-out for the first solved ticket of the day—that keep the flywheel spinning without adding bureaucracy.

So what can the wider business world borrow from hospitality leadership? Make people feel seen. Begin gatherings with names, purpose, and appreciation. Use micro-recognition daily: “I noticed what you did here, and it helped us because…” Obsess over the guest journey—whether your “guest” is a customer, franchise partner, stakeholder, or team member. Map the first five and last five minutes of any experience and script for warmth, not control. Remove one tiny friction a week; small irritants quietly drain trust faster than big projects add it.

Lead like a host, not a hero. Replace “Here’s what I need” with “What do you need from me?” Protect standards and protect people—both/and, not either/or. Turn standards into stories: “We put this here because…” lands much better than “because policy.” Share origin stories—why you started, what you learned the hard way, and what you refuse to compromise. Make excellence feel human: clear is kind, tidy is kind, and prepared is kind. And remember that fun isn’t the enemy of discipline; it’s the fuel that keeps discipline sustainable.

If you like a practical nudge, here are five tiny plays for this week:

1. Open every meeting with a genuine ten-second welcome—smile, name, thank-you, purpose.

2. Ask your team to name one tiny annoyance you can remove by Friday, then fix it and tell people you did.

3. In every one-to-one, ask, “What can I do to make your work easier this week?” and follow up visibly.

4. Do a quick standards walk—physical or digital—remove clutter, label what matters, and explain the “why.”

5. Catch someone doing the right thing in a small moment; recognise the specific behaviour, tie it to impact, and say thank you on the spot.

My takeaway from Glenfiddich is simple: hospitality leadership is care turned into repeatable practice. Big welcomes and small details. High standards and human warmth. When we lead like hosts—curious, prepared, generous—people don’t just comply; they lean in.