Some 40 industry professionals, led by company owner/operators, recently exchanged ideas during a TRSA virtual roundtable designed to guide general managers (GMs) in ensuring the effectiveness of their direct reports. They recounted experiences identifying middle managers they promoted or hired, and they reviewed tactics that such successful leaders have practiced that kept employees productive and happy.

A McKinsey & Co. document, “What Is Leadership?” guided the idea exchange, positing that traditional management, if not dead, is dying. In today’s labor force, the industry faces fierce competition for lower-paid staff. That puts operators who emphasize command-and-control tactics at a disadvantage. McKinsey ...