Treat Them Like Guests in Your House

Treat Them Like Guests in Your House

A Leadership Reflection for the Closing Month of the Year

There’s a line in The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David J. Schwartz that has stayed with me for years:

“Treat your customers and employees like guests in your home.”

It’s a simple sentence—but for leaders, it’s a profound operating philosophy.

When someone enters your home, you don’t think in transactions.You think in care.You think in experience.You think in how you want them to feel when they leave.

Imagine approaching leadership with that same level of intention.

With customers…

Treating them like guests means recognising their time as a privilege.It means listening with patience, not pressure.It means creating moments of confidence and clarity in environments where uncertainty is now the norm.

With employees…

Treating them like guests doesn’t mean overaccommodating — it means honouring the fact that people choose to invest their talent, creativity, and energy with us.It means building cultures defined not by slogans, but by everyday interactions.It means remembering that respect is not a strategy — it’s a standard.

Leadership, at its heart, is hospitality.

It is the craft of making others feel valued, safe, and respected — even in seasons of disruption.The leaders who embody this create workplaces and businesses that people don’t just work for… they stay with.

As we close out 2025, this message feels especially relevant.

Technology has accelerated, markets have shifted, and expectations across industries have evolved.But one truth remains unchanged:

People remember how you make them feel.Customers.Employees.Partners.Communities.

So as we enter the final month of the year, I’m reminding myself — and inviting all of us — to lead with a little more grace, a little more presence, and a little more first-class intention.Not in luxury, but in mindset.

End-of-Year Message

To everyone I’ve had the privilege to work with, learn from, or walk alongside this year: thank you.For the trust.For the conversations.For the shared ambition to build stronger businesses and stronger communities across Australia.

Wishing you and your families a safe, restful, and meaningful end of year — and a 2026 filled with clarity, growth, and purpose.

Sincerely,Andy