Traveling Through the Stars

The Freedom to Explore

The greatest professional gift I have experienced is the freedom and trust that develops when you are aligned with your boss. That freedom is born of trust. Trust is earned through shared values, performance, and connection.

Freedom fuels exploration of new methods and innovation, hiring the right folks and growing their talents, and organizing and maintaining all resources (people and products).

The galaxy of confidence is built and grows stronger every day, resulting in positive energy flowing throughout the enterprise—a radiating blast spreading to all the stars in your universe. Success feeds confidence; trust feeds confidence; confidence feeds freedom. Suddenly you understand: your team’s engines are running at warp speed, and everyone knows the destination.

Why This Matters

In a world where many teams operate in fear and scarcity, my voyage at the Sheraton Dallas showed me what happens when trust is given, not hoarded. When leaders share the spotlight, invite honest voices into the room, and let people own their results, a whole galaxy of confidence lights up.

That same spirit lives in my Knot Art Galaxy: each coil is a star powered by someone’s courage, generosity, and belief that we rise higher when we travel together.

Leader takeaway:

If you want innovation, start by asking: Where can I give more trust, not more control?

A True Crew

As I look back on all the work that went into our successes, we had fun. We started each day with an operations briefing led by the General Manager and Hotel Manager. We were joyous and played off each other. It was thoughtful, purposeful, motivating, uplifting, and positive.

Many days there were over 20 people in the conference room—from ALL departments, including HR, Sales, Events, Operations, and even the third‑party parking company. We laughed and gave everyone a chance to update the leaders on their daily actions.

If a department needed help, we understood the assignment and were there at the time of need. We built a family of trust and solidarity. It was clear we were ALL in it together and had each other’s backs.

We shared our innovative ideas for large arrivals and departures, and for events. I was so grateful there were no hidden agendas or politics. New ideas were welcomed and supported with helpful feedback.

Each briefing was like checking our star map together: where are were today, what’s coming, and how can we help each other get there?

Leader takeaway: 

A daily 20‑minute, cross‑department huddle can do more for trust and alignment than another long email ever will.

Charting the Course – Star date 2017

By December 2017, I had been the Hotel Manager for two and a half years, and Mark Sanders had been the General Manager for over three years. Metrics were improving across the board—without a much‑needed rooms renovation.

Each month I compiled a vibrant and clear Month in Review document (see the related Yarns About Life blog). Unlike other General Managers, Mark was not afraid to give voice to the hotel operations areas during the monthly owners’ meetings.

In other hotels, as the Hotel Manager, my job was to share as little as possible with the owners and be prepared to answer P&L or guest satisfaction concerns. In Dallas, I compiled an engaging Month in Review PowerPoint—gaining input from all of the operations directors—documenting our business levels, successes, proposed improvement strategies, and laying the foundations for capital expenditure requests (both planned and unplanned).

At first, I made the presentations. Then I transferred control of the presentations to my directors. This provided necessary professional experience and exposure for our developing leaders and gave them ownership of the results. It increased pride in performance. If there was bad news to deliver, that was my role.

The owners’ meeting and Month in Review were living proof that our General Manager trusted the operations team to communicate successes, demonstrate alignment, and recognize innovation in a professional manner. Mark Sanders was generous with the spotlight and understood that his gestures of trust and commitment were then returned threefold by the leaders and associates of the hotel.

The Sheraton Dallas was voted 23rd in the 2017 Top 100 Places to Work in the annual Dallas Morning News poll and awards. It was the third win in three years.

Employees said: 

“I am given the opportunity to manage my own department with little to no interference. I am given open and honest feedback on how to improve, and am allowed to plan how improvements are implemented in my department.”

Those comments were our constellation in writing: proof that trust had taken root.

Leader takeaway:

Look at your next senior‑level meeting and ask: Whose voice could I move from the sidelines to the center? Then hand them the clicker.

Captain’s Log – These Were the Voyages…

It’s been almost 10 years—how can I remember facts and details?

Using the monthly reviews, I created a full‑color, 86‑page bound 2017 Year in Review, including pictures, progress, and metrics from EVERY department in the hotel. And yes, a copy went to the owners.

Frankly, I am blown away to review it today. We were soaring high.

That Year in Review is my paper Galaxy: each page a star, each metric and story a reminder of what trust, alignment, and shared purpose can do.

Leader takeaway: 

Capture your best year while you’re living it. A simple, visual year‑in‑review—no matter how modest—becomes a powerful tool for memory, recognition, and future courage.

Traveling Through the Stars

These years taught me that trust is not a soft extra; it is the engine that powers performance, pride, and staying power. When people are trusted to speak, decide, and create, they don’t just hit metrics—they light up the whole sky around them, creating a Galaxy of Gratitude.

In my knot art, Galaxy is built coil by coil, each one a quiet act of faith in the next. In leadership, the coils are daily briefings, shared presentations, honest feedback, and visible belief in your people. Over time, those small choices become the stars your teams navigate by—proof that they are free to explore, and never traveling alone.