Guns, Molotov cocktails and mob violence at the US Capitol; like the rest of the world, I’m shocked by the spectacle that took place south of the border on January 6 and the profound lack of leadership on display to the world. I find the whole thing deeply disturbing.
The violence at the US Capitol was not the only bad news I received that week. While the political events in Washington were distant and impersonal, learning about the passing of Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the founder of Sandals Resorts International, two days before the rioting at the US Capitol, was different. It was personal. It made me feel sad.
Looking out my window at the snowiness of January, I sail away on memories of palm trees and white beaches surrounded by azure seas to the day I first met Butch Stewart, one of the most inspiring leaders I have ever met. For me, it’s ironic that two days after the death of a man who devoted so much of his life to celebrating love, romance, kindness and respect, such violence should occur.
In 1998, about 200 other travel journalists from around the world and I attended the grand opening of the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort and Spa in Nassau, Bahamas. The state-of-the-art resort, the shiny public relations material in my suite said, set a new standard for innovation and customer experience in the Caribbean. It sure seemed that way as I roamed around the property, exploring everything I could.
Stopping to talk to a man who was skimming the surface of one of the swimming pools with a net at the end of a long aluminum pole, I figured this would be an excellent opportunity to get some on-the-ground information about the resort. Dressed in blue jeans and a blue-and-white striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he was happy to talk. And so we did for 15 or 20 minutes. I enjoyed listening to his heavy Jamaican accent and the Reggae-like rhythm of his speech. I liked him right away.
Explaining that I had to be at a reception to hear a speech from Mr. Stewart, I shook his hand, said goodbye and headed off to meet my public relations contact at dinner.
It looked like the Olympics of travel journalism when I entered the reception hall. Each country had more than a dozen journalists. Gazing around the cavernous room, I saw my contact at a table near the stage waving. Greeting her and the other journalists, I sat down, asked the server for a glass of bourbon and waited for “The Chairman,” as everyone at Sandals called him.
Finally, the big moment came, and (drumroll, please), out walked Gordon “Butch” Stewart. I almost choked on my bourbon. There, dressed to the nines, was the man who, less than an hour ago, I was talking to about the resort’s water purification system.
Growing up in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Butch Stewart loved Jamaica, the Jamaican people, and the Caribbean. It was a love as deep as his desire to make life better for those who struggled to get ahead.
One of his goals in founding Sandals, he told me once, was to create opportunities for the Caribbean people. He did not like seeing the profits generated by foreign-owned resorts leave the region, which is why he made sure that each of his resorts played a significant social and economic development role in the local community. He was particularly proud of the schools that his resorts funded.
Based on what I learned from him those few times we spoke, his idea of leadership was based on love, respect for the individual and paying attention to the needs of others. And that included the country he loved. In 1992, through the “Butch Stewart Initiative,” he pumped US$1 million a week into the official foreign exchange market at below prevailing rates to help halt the slide of the Jamaican dollar.
The last time I saw Butch Stewart, I was interviewing him in the teak-and-mahogany-lined stateroom of the Lady Sandals, his 42-metre yacht. We were drinking Red Stripe beer out of a bottle.
“How did you create all this?” I asked him. “What’s your secret to being a successful business leader?”
Leaning back in his chair, he looked at me and, with that heavy Jamaican accent, told me that it’s all about love and respect. “No matter what the business,” he said, smiling, “the product is always the relationship.”
Turning away from my window and the starkness of January, I return to the present and all the pain, worry, and fear surrounding us. Butch was right. It’s all about love, respect and the power of relationships. Let’s hope that each of us, in our own way, can better understand that.
