As the tourism and hospitality industries expand globally and adopt faster, more digital operations, many organizations face a critical challenge: how to grow without losing their soul. For Rogelio Alejandro Jr., a Certified Tourism Professional and senior executive with dual roles in the Philippines and the U.S., the answer lies in one word: care.
“You can’t just plug in systems, scale up operations, and expect the same culture to follow,” Rogelio says in his interview with Financial Adviser PH. “Culture doesn’t scale on autopilot—it needs to be nurtured, protected, and modeled every day.”
With over two decades of leadership experience across different regions and industries, Rogelio has seen firsthand how companies break down when growth outpaces human connection. “I’ve worked in organizations where the processes were strong, but the people felt disconnected. That kind of growth is unsustainable. People burn out. Loyalty drops. Turnover rises.”
To build culture that lasts, Rogelio starts with intentional leadership behaviors—not slogans on a wall. “People pay attention to what you do when no one’s watching. Do you respond to your team’s messages? Do you acknowledge their effort even when results aren’t perfect? Do you model the respect you expect from others?”
He also believes that culture must be lived at every level, not just dictated from the top. “You can have a beautiful mission statement, but if middle managers are disengaged or dismissive, it breaks down. Culture has to move through every layer of the organization.”
Part of sustaining that culture, Rogelio adds, is recognizing that employees aren’t just performers—they’re people. “When someone on my team is quiet, I check in. Not as a boss, but as a colleague. Small gestures matter. They build trust, and trust strengthens culture.”
One way he reinforces this approach is by encouraging shared responsibility. He asks senior staff to mentor newer team members—not just in tasks, but in values. “When someone takes ownership of another person’s growth, it deepens their own commitment to the culture. That’s when values become contagious.”
Rogelio also integrates care into how decisions are made, especially during high-pressure periods. “We still push for results. But we ask—can we reach this target without compromising well-being? Is this pace sustainable? Are we building a team, or just managing one?”
In his view, sustainable leadership is not about avoiding ambition—it’s about grounding that ambition in empathy. “You can scale systems. You can scale strategy. But you can’t scale culture unless you lead with care.”
His leadership philosophy is simple but powerful: growth is only meaningful if the people behind it are growing, too. And in hospitality, where human connection is the core product, that kind of leadership isn’t just ideal—it’s essential.
