Being a good manager means knowing how to run a profitable business and getting your head around the finances. But you also have to be available, approachable and supportive of your staff. Daniel Carney, Team Leader at Flight Centre Potts Point, shares his journey with the company, and the best and most challenging parts of being a manager.
My ten-year career with Flight Centre can be traced back to an 8-week trip I took to Europe, when I got bitten by the travel bug. Originally, I had studied to be a hotelier. I loved working in that area, but was always thinking about that next trip.
When I came across an advertised position with Flight Centre close to home, I realised I could combine two of my passions: selling hotels and staying in them while enjoying my travel-bug lifestyle. I was excited to use my prior travel experience to confidently approach a new career path and feel lucky that I found a job that allows me to do something I’m truly passionate about.
It sounds cliché, but the best part of being a team leader is really the team. We work as one, and the success of the team is just as important as the success of the individual. A big part of our philosophy is "Family, Village, Tribe", and it’s true! A lot of my closest friends have come from Flight Centre Travel Group, and from my own business transactions and educational trips.
But being a good leader means sometimes you’re going to have those hard conversations with your team to ensure they're delivering the best results. You need to be able to make challenging decisions while having a soft approach. And despite everything, sometimes you don’t have control over every situation, and the only thing you can do is accept that.
Travel is an industry that is exciting and fun, but there’s a lot at stake. You are selling experiences that people will remember for a lifetime, not just a t-shirt or a pair of shoes that you grow out of over time. Change in the travel industry is constant, and we face the challenge to be constantly on top of our gamut, and success means being prepared for any scenario while keeping the customer at the forefront of your mind.
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