Tourism

I. Introduction
What is a leader and how is a leader identified This is a complex question that merits an equally complex answer. Identifying and characterizing a leader is best addressed through the use of an example, through the investigation of a life of a known leader, someone like the hospitality industrys Georges Auguste Escoffier. The French chef Escoffier is a leader. The question is how and why he is considered as a leader. This will bring to the fore the aspect of leadership being complex and multi faceted. In the case of Escoffier, the idea of leadership points towards two different important things. First, Escoffiers leadership pertaining to how his pioneering actions led to the creation of and the institutionalizing of practices, methods and beliefs involved in cookery as well as kitchen management. Basically, how he was a leader in the industry because of how his actions lead the industry towards the direction of progress. The second aspect of leadership leans towards leadership as a people skill how Escoffier actually managed his staff while they are all working, what he did as a leader to answer the problems that he witnessed and faced, problems that he and his staff have experienced basically how Escoffier was a leader to his followers. In both cases, Escoffier is decorated by history as a man who passed both challenges in flying colors. He is now known as someone who has made important innovations while at the same time someone whose people skills allowed him to be a great leader everyday inside the workplace. Escoffier is the perfect example in the investigation of leadership, particularly, the leadership style he employed and how this manifested during his professional career.

II. Discussion
Like every other professional and business aspect of the society, the hospitality industry - in particular the management of hotels and high-end restaurants - is something that relies heavily on the efficacy of the leader and his or her leadership style. In the hotel and restaurant industry, effective leaders are just as important as they are important in other fields of work. In restaurant and hotel management, there are people and resources to handle and manage the long standing and day to day problems that needs to be addressed and resolved. Inside this particular work environment, individuals performing different tasks are found. Success depends on how well the leader can effectively manage every individual in such a way that there is harmony in work resulting to productivity and efficiency, less friction and less tension. What sets the average leader and the outstanding leader apart one another is the manner by which they have impacted leadership, and in the process changed many things in how the way things worked. It is in this aspect that Auguste Escoffier stood out. There are indeed many good leaders in this particular field. It was Escoffier who provided the leadership style and approach that radically changed the practice in the hospitality industry. This is the reason why his leadership style and principles are being analyzed and discussed even until today.

A. Auguste Escoffier leadership principles and his leadership style

i. Leadership principles - Auguste Escoffiers leadership is motivated by his principles. These principles that serve as the driving force in his career and everyday work became important foundation of his approach to leadership. These principles can be traced from different origins in the life of Escoffier. Some individuals may be inspired by Escoffiers personal life and his experiences, while others may have been inspired by what he learned during his years of working in the hospitality industry. Others can be a result of his natural tendencies. The mix-and-mash of all of these factors created these principles that have consciously affected the way Escoffier undertook the task of leadership and management.

a. Treating subordinates with respect - One of the noticeable principles of Escoffier when it comes to leadership is his treatment of his subordinates. Escoffier was never popularized for his ill treatment of his staff and subordinates. On the contrary, how he treated this people helped made Escoffier popular and well respected. While some leadership are very hard, harsh and strict on their subordinates bordering being antagonistic, sadistic, cold-hearted and unfeeling, Escoffiers approach to leadership is affected by his principle of treating subordinates with respect in the workplace. As a leader, it is important for the leader to be the one who is the most capable in manifesting control over emotions and to not let emotions get the better of the individual. This can result to strained relationships inside the work environment which, in the long run is not healthy for the business.

Escoffier, considered as Father of 20th century cookery (Brown, 2007, p. 100), built his reputation as a leader characterized by his genuine sense of respect towards not just his colleagues but also his subordinates. This is in the belief that such principle in leadership is key in creating the type of working environment wherein everyone is productive and the goal of the entire team is realized in the long run. James (2002), in his book Escoffier the king of chefs quoted Escoffier as saying that everyone is expected to be polite in the workplace and that any other behavior is contrary to our practice (James, 2002, p. 72). Escoffier was polite at all times to his staff and colleagues (James, 2002, p. 72).

b. Practicing what he preaches - Escoffiers leadership principles also include practicing what the leader preaches. What Escoffier asks of his staff and subordinates, he also takes as his own task as well  from decorum to hygiene to perfection in the art of cookery, etc. While other leaders think that they are above rules made for people beneath their status, Escoffiers leadership is characterized by his tendency of practicing what he preaches. For example, when he demanded better from his subordinates in the kitchen, he also makes sure that he always put his best foot forward while working. This is the reason why Escoffier became not just successful but also well esteemed by many people.

Escoffier never considers himself as an exemption to the rule. He is always the first to follow the rules that he sets for the kitchen team. Because of that, his subordinates find it easier to follow Escoffiers rules in the kitchen, making Escoffier and his team very productive and successful and realizing the short term and long term goals of the kitchen team. As writer and historian James (2002) noted, Escoffier followed his own rules meticulously (James, 2002, p. 72).

c. Accepting the pressure and challenge - An important principle in the leadership of Escoffier (as a leader per se and as a man who became a leading personality in the hospitality industry) is Escoffiers being undaunted by pressure and challenge. When he was picked to lead the kitchen in Savoy, Escoffier met the challenge head-on, knowing the challenges and pressure that lay ahead of him and meeting it with work ethic, dedication and vision that allowed him to be successful.

Had it been other men or women, the outcome would have been different considering how they responded to the challenge and to pressure. Escoffier has proven that ones sense of leadership should include being resolute and firm in meeting the challenges and pressure found in a workplace found in the hospitality industry, like in restaurant and kitchen management. Escoffier is described as the greatest chef of his time (Gisslen, Griffin, 2006, p. 5) if not of all time. He is considered by historians as someone who worked hard and aimed at hurdling the challenges and pressure and achieving success with the enviable degree of perfection (Nickerson, Kerr, 2003, p. 39) that he is known for and capable of.

d. The leader as an innovator - Escoffiers leadership is also characterized by his sense of innovation. Kotschevar and Withrow (2007), in the book Management Menu, described Escoffier as an innovator (Kotschevar and Withrow, 2007, p. 10). Escoffier came to the hospitality industry not just as another individual who will maintain the practice and existing status quo. Part of his sense of leadership is the idea that as a leader, one should be able to introduce something new. This is for them to inspire change for the better so that other people can follow a path that is characterized by a sense of improvement and allowing other people a springboard from which they can make new innovations. When history talks about Escoffier as a leader, they often point towards not just what he has done with excellence, but also (and more importantly) to the change and innovation that he inspired and made real.

For example, Escoffier changed the practice of kitchen staff and cooks drinking while at work, substituting non alcoholic beverage instead in exchange for what was commonly consumed in the past beer. Escoffier believes that the behavior of the staff would improve if they are intoxicated while at work. It had marvelous results and reflected the skill for innovation important for leaders to display and that which makes individuals effective leaders in the first place, like Escoffier (James, 2002, p. 72). Auguste banned alcohol in the kitchen and, taking medical advice, made barley water available at all times. There was a dramatic improvement, but he kept a careful eye (James, 2002, p. 72).

Indeed, innovators in the society like Escoffier are leaders in their own rights. At some point, he was considered not just a mere innovator but even as a scientist (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2007, p. 10) largely because of his meticulous and scientific approach to learning the details of food preparation and kitchen management. This resulted in data he put in books and articles he wrote which in turn inspired and helped other people do better in the management of their own food and kitchen. Escoffier as a leader and innovator resulted in Escoffier making significant contributions in the changing of two important things in his field of work, and those are menu and kitchen organization. His two main contributions were (1) the simplification of classical cuisine and the classical menu, and (2) the reorganization of the kitchen (Gisslen, Griffin, 2006, p. 5).

ii. Leadership style - The examination and assessment of Auguste Escoffier and his leadership style reveals that his leadership style is similar to the transformational leadership and transformational leader model.  Among leaders, transformational leadership style is often very rare to find considering how difficult this style is for those who are not predisposed to the emotional and personality requirement of such style in leadership. In the hospitality industry where Escoffier belongs, it is believed that such characteristic is appreciated here (Kusluvan, 2003, p. 624). Transformational leaders are often liked very well by the people around them. Escoffier had this capability in him, which made him a person that people easily like (Shaw, 1994, p. 24).

Escoffier is known as someone who partnered with Ritz. The partnership resulted in long productive work because of the sense of excellence in leadership that these two people are known for, and easily, a testament to Escoffier being liked because of his personality as well as his skill and leadership (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2007, p. 14). Ritz oversaw the front of the house and hotel management, while Escoffier saw to the kitchen and dining services. They made an unmatchable team both had the highest standards (Kotschevar, Luciani, 2007, p. 14). In the examination of Escoffiers style and in consideration to how he worked with his subordinates and colleagues, it is clear that Escoffier manifested the classic characteristics of the transformational leader.

The transformational leader is a leader who has the ability to transform the people around him or her, and the practices as well as traditions and beliefs, etc. He or she does this through wisdom, through making wise and correct decisions and through the personal guidance of virtues which manifests in the directions he gives as a leader. For example, Escoffier was a leader who put importance to the sense of basic decency and decorum in the work area (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2007, p. 10). Escoffier insisted that his men dress neatly, never use profanity and work quietly, with decorum and gentlemanliness (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2007, p. 10).

As a leader, Escoffier was not just merely demanding from his staff their best foot forward at all times. However, he was also looking after their welfare and safety, considering the fact that the kitchen is a very dangerous place of work. This brings out what observers believe as Escoffiers natural tendencies of being protective of his staff (Civitello, 2007, p. 286), which again is a sign of leadership. Change is an important characteristic of transformational leader. Change is something that is strongly attributed to Escoffier and his leadership and management in the hospitality industry during his time. According to Bernard Bass, an important individual who pioneered this style, transformation leaders often have charisma as well as vision and the necessary intellectual capability to realize such vision (Civitello, 2007, p. 286). After understanding the idea of transformational leader and transformational leadership, it is now important to explain and analyze how this relates to Escoffier and his professional life.

First and most important of all, the transformational leader influences change. This is what Escoffier had done as a leader - inspire and create change. In the restaurant industry wherein he has become an icon, he is strongly remembered because of how he influenced change. Big and small changes have made significant impact in the practice of kitchen management. These changes happened because Escoffier was trying to be a good leader and manifesting the actions expected of him being a good leader.

For example, Escoffier noticed the impact of the practice of people shouting at one another during the peak hours in the hotel when they facilitate and manage food orders. Escoffier, as a good leader, knew that something has to be done and so he made a simple change - changing the title from barker to announcer. With that small change, the kitchen and the usual grind there has transformed dramatically (James, 2002, p. 72). He changed the title of the man who shouted the waiters orders to the kitchen from barker, aboyeur, to spokesman, annonceur, a term from the theatre. The annonceur was forbidden to shout - so shouting around the kitchen had to stop to hear the orders (James, 2002, p. 72).

He also influenced and introduced other changes. More importantly, he did this not by brute force but by using his own charisma among his subordinates. This charisma is heightened by Escoffiers natural good and positive qualities as a person. The use of charisma to influence change is just one of the many characteristics of the transformational leader (Pizam, 2005, p. 380), something that Escoffier is.

When Escoffier came in the industry, there was already an existing practice, but he knew outright that something was lacking or missing. As a transformational leader, he undertook this challenge and task. In the end, this allowed Escoffier to be the person credited for establishing important changes and developments in the field of kitchen and restaurant management. Many critics, writers and historians who wrote about the hospitality industry also made mention of these many different achievements of Escoffier which transformed the industry (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2006, p. 10).

It was Escoffier who perfected the classical or continental organization of workers in the kitchen and precisely defined the responsibility of each one. Escoffier was the first to use a food checker and to establish the close coordination that an executive chef must have with the chief steward (Kotschevar, Withrow, 2006, p. 10).

The transformational leader makes possible change, but unlike other things, change in this context is not merely a matter of developing something or introducing something new. The concept of change as affected by transformational leaders addresses change and transformation in deeper and more complex situation. Escoffier made changes in the industry, but he is a transformational leader because of how he impacted change in a different level. Roth (2004) explains that transformational leadership work is more complex and is characterized by the transforming leader seeking to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower (Roth, 2004, p. 21). Roth added that the result of transforming leadership is a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders and may convert leaders into moral agents (Roth, 2004, p. 21).

This is what happened as a result of Escoffiers transformational leadership - he inspired change, inspired peoples actions because of that change, made leaders out of followers and converted leaders into moral agents. In his own right, Escoffier has transformed from being a leader to a moral agent. Through Escoffiers work, what is acceptable practice, the good and bad or right and wrong in the kitchen is measured based on what he set through his actions, directions and leadership.

a. The pros and cons of the transformational leadership style -Transformational leadership style has its own set of pros and cons. The good thing about transformational leadership is that it allows change to happen. Second, the change impacts individuals and empowers and inspires them. Transformational leaders appeal to the followers as well as fellow leaders in such a way that there is a noticeable impact and effect on those who come in contact with a transformational leader. The negative side of this is that transformational leaders can come in different forms and can sometimes make monsters out of men because of their desire to transform an individual or a practice, the society and its aspects, etc. When pushed to the edge, transformational leaders can succumb to exercising excessive and uncontrollable use of powers because they are motivated by the desire to have their visions and plans and goals realized no matter what.

B. Auguste Escoffier negative points as a leader
While transformational leaders are heralded, transformational leaders is a style that also comes with its own negative side. Transformational leadership is not characterized by polar good or bad. It is ascertained based on what happened as a result of the leadership. And like everything else, it is not perfect. For that, Escoffier and his transformational leadership also brought about negative points to raise and discuss.

If there are some negative points in Escoffiers being a transformational leader, it may include the tendencies of Escoffier in many instances to manipulate (Gubler, Glynn, 2008, p. 143) the kitchen because of his desire for change. While there is nothing wrong with what he wanted to accomplish, the act of manipulating per se resulting from the desire to transform something is, at times, a negative characteristic. It is not difficult to imagine how Escoffier can, at times, tend to manipulate just to get the results he desired. After all, he is considered as a perfectionist and nothing will get in his way in achieving this kind of perfection in the end result, something which, in the long run, can be a negative point.

Another possible negative point in the transformational leader style is the possible tendencies of the transformational leader to want to change a lot of things at the expense of having other people struggle with such changes in the process. Change is ideal especially if something good is expected to come out of it. At times, the danger here lies in the possibility that people can and may find the process of transformation difficult, taxing. It can impact their work and productivity, especially if they do not share the vision of the leader and do not understand why such change or transformation is important or necessary in the first place.

III. Conclusion
Georges Auguste Escoffier was dubbed as roi des cuisiniers et cuisinier des rois (Gubler, Glynn, 2008, p. 143), a French term which in English meant King of chefs and chef of kings. This accolade was largely a result of Escoffiers rise in popularity among the social elite that he feeds with his cooking. While Escoffier, no doubt, is a talented chef, it is also important that history sees Escoffier for his skill not just in cooking but for other things, particularly his skill in leadership. Escoffier is one of the ideal individuals to be examined when it comes to how they used leadership to become extraordinary individuals. Escoffier was a leader because of his innovations. He was also a leader who led men and displayed his own brand of leadership. Escoffier was a transformational leader, a person responsible for change and transformation as he was responsible for innovation in the practice of cookery and kitchen management. In closer investigation of his life and career as a leader, there have been many proofs about how Escoffier handled leadership well, about how he effectively managed his subordinates and how this action. This, in the long run, allowed him, his subordinates and the place he worked for to be productive and effective in the end.