# #262 - Hospitality Meets Robert Richardson - The Story We Tell Ourselves

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospitality-meets-with-phil-street-122320/262-hospitality-meets-robert-richardson-the-story-we-tell-ourselves
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospitality-meets-with-phil-street-122320/262-hospitality-meets-robert-richardson-the-story-we-tell-ourselves.md
Podcast: [Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospitality-meets-with-phil-street-122320)
Published: 2026-07-01T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.hospitalitymeets.co.uk/
Audio file: https://pdcn.co/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/167a3537-3327-40b1-9f40-c4802a294958.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3128

## Resource

Six years ago, Robert Richardson joined me on Hospitality Meets for the very first time. Back then, he was a hotel General Manager with a passion for people, wondering what the next chapter might look like. Neither of us could have predicted what came next. Fast forward six years, and Robert returns to the show as CEO of the Institute of Hospitality , leading a global professional body with more than 17,000 members, overseeing record membership growth, driving the Institute's Charter ambition, and helping shape the future of our industry. It's amazing what can happen in six years. In this episode we chat about: The leap from hotel General Manager to CEO Leading an organisation through unprecedented change Why the Institute is experiencing its strongest membership growth in years Championing professional development across hospitality The Youth Council and why the next generation matters more than ever The journey towards Chartered status Learning to overcome imposter syndrome and the fear of public speaking The stories we tell ourselves... and how they can hold us back Why leadership is about stewardship, not ownership The power (and pitfalls) of social media Building organisations where people genuinely feel they belong Along the way we explore leadership, confidence, legacy, positivity, personal growth and why hospitality remains one of the greatest industries in the world for developing people. Of course, this wouldn't be Hospitality Meets without a few memorable stories... 🤣 Accidentally being announced as the new CEO while being tagged as a completely different organisation on social media. 🤣 Rehearsing every speech exactly seven times before stepping onto a stage. 🤣 Seriously considering quitting on the morning of his first major keynote... before discovering the…

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