Don't just stand there ... Lead!

Big demand, good pay
Employee recruiting firms MRINetwork and Spherion helped us pull together a short list of well-paying jobs where the demand for good candidates outstrips the supply.
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Hospitality General Managers at premier resorts and hotels.
The demand for good general managers (GMs) has gone up because there are not enough people being trained in positions that lead to the job. Plus, as resorts and hotels specialize in a sport or other activity (e.g., golf or casinos), they need people with experience in that specialty.GMs typically have either a bachelor's or master's degree in business or hotel management. They often get their start as sales managers in the hospitality industry then work their way up to director of sales and marketing, a job that pays between $80,000 and $120,000 depending on the location.It takes 12 to 18 years to become a GM at a top-rated resort or hotel, but once there, they can earn between $150,000 and $250,000, depending on the location.

The first line in this CNNMoney.com story creates an engaging expectation. The last line mentions the financial payoffs. The middle is at best misleading. Please save me from the purveyors of conventional wisdom.
While I believe that General Manger positions will more often be filled by college graduates, the idea that GMs often come from Sales and marketing is typical old school thinking. It is the easy way of talking about leadership without really thinking.
Successful General Managers come from people who exhibit leadership ability. Sales are important in getting people into a hotel for the first time. The other ten departments and functions keep the guest coming back. Those people who stand out as leaders are the individuals that will succeed regardless of the starting point of their career.
Leading a successful hotel, country club or restaurant requires hard work and learnable skills. We must stop thinking of leadership answers based on “this is the way we have always done it”. If you spend too much time on learning technical skill sets rather than understanding why people behave the way they do, you lose. You will be relegated to following real leaders until you change your focus.