“A Cup of Coffee Taught Me a Leadership Lesson.” By Kamal Roy

 

☕ “A Cup of Coffee Taught Me a Leadership Lesson.”

By Kamal Roy

Many times during the hotel's Morning Meeting, I noticed General Managers asking F&B teams a very simple question:

“How many types of coffee do we serve, and what makes each one different?”

Surprisingly, not everyone had a confident answer.

As an IT professional in the hospitality industry, I initially thought:

“This is not my department.”

But then I asked myself another question:

If I work in hospitality, shouldn’t I understand the very products and experiences we deliver to our guests every day?

That curiosity changed my perspective.

One day, I openly told our GM:

“I come from an IT background, but I want to learn the language of hospitality beyond technology.”

And that small conversation became a valuable learning moment.

Here’s the simplest and most practical coffee guide I learned:

☕ Coffee Types & Milk Ratios

🔹 Espresso (1:0)

100% coffee, 0% milk

Bold, pure, and intense.

🔹 Macchiato (1:1)

50% coffee, 50% milk

Strong coffee flavour with a touch of milk.

🔹 Cappuccino (1:2)

33% coffee, 67% milk

Balanced blend of coffee, milk, and foam.

🔹 Latte (1:3)

25% coffee, 75% milk

Creamy, smooth, and mild.

🔹 Flat White (1:4)

20% coffee, 80% milk

Velvety texture with a stronger coffee kick.

✨ The biggest lesson for me was not just about coffee.

It was about continuous learning.

In hospitality, no department works in isolation.

Whether you are from IT, F&B, Front Office, Sales, HR, or Engineering, understanding the guest experience makes us stronger professionals.

Sometimes, the smallest knowledge creates the biggest confidence.

📌 Never stop learning outside your own department.

📌 Curiosity is one of the most valuable skills in hospitality.

📌 Every cup served has its own identity and story.

This small note is for every hospitality professional and aspiring hotelier who wants to build stronger operational knowledge, one step at a time.

Thank you.

#Hospitality #HotelIndustry #Learning #CoffeeCulture #FNB #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth