Last week, I asked my core team to read Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.
What followed was one of the most thoughtful internal discussions we’ve had in a while.
Not about food.
Not about restaurants.
But about leadership, standards, and how real excellence actually shows up at work.
Here are the takeaways that stayed with me.
Rini said something deceptively simple:
Excellence is not a skill – it’s a decision.
Even in pressure, chaos, and overload, you still get to choose:
standards
kindness
ownership
consistency
That framing matters. Because if excellence is a choice, it’s available every day – not just on “good” days.
Ram brought it back to trust and recovery:
People do their best work when they feel trusted.
And this line landed hard:
How you recover matters more than how you fail.
Mistakes are inevitable. The real signal is what happens next – defensiveness, or responsibility.
Prajakta focused on the human core of leadership:
How you make people feel – team or client – stays with them far longer than what you deliver.
A few ideas from her that sparked a lot of nods:
The desire to feel taken care of never fades
Often, the right time to give responsibility is before someone feels ready
“Keep the constant gentle pressure”
“Be a Swan” – calm above water, paddling hard underneath
“Make the charitable assumption”
She also reminded us of something every leader needs to relearn periodically:
Criticize behavior, not the person.
Praise in public. Criticize in private.
Praise with emotion. Criticize without emotion.
My own reflection after listening to everyone:
Empowerment beats process manuals.
Hospitality is a strategic choice, not a personality trait.
Design the experience – don’t leave it to chance.
Proactiveness is the highest form of service.
Judgment scales best when paired with clear guardrails.
The biggest insight for me?
Culture isn’t built through slogans or SOPs.
It’s built through a thousand small decisions people make when no one is watching.
And excellence, it turns out, is one of those decisions.
New beginnings do not need noise – just direction.
Wishing you a year of focused execution, sound judgment, and progress that truly matters.
Happy new year!
A new year is not about rushing forward, but about moving with intention.
Wishing you clarity in thinking, confidence in action, and momentum that compounds.
Happy new year!
Wishing you and your family a bright and prosperous Diwali.
May this festival of lights bring new beginnings, renewed energy, and lasting success in every endeavor.
✨ Happy Diwali from all of us at Infini Team ✨