Meet the faculty: Dr. Alessandro Cavelzani

César Ritz Colleges Switzerland lecturer Dr. Alessandro Cavelzani’s list of academic and career credentials is impressive. He trained under Professor Beatrice Beebe at Columbia University Medical School in New York and, as a member of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis, has been a practicing psychotherapist for the past 15 years. Alongside his role at César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Alessandro is a visiting lecturer in leadership at Grenoble Business School in France and Austria’s Donau University. As an active researcher, Alessandro continues to publish papers focusing on leadership, a field of expertise he shares with students fortunate enough to attend his classes.   

Alessandro is a much respected and appreciated faculty member, as demonstrated by his students recently when they all held up “Thank you” cards to their screens at the end of their final lecture with him.

A key focus of your Leading Success through Human Capital module is teaching students to be successful leaders. What does it mean to be an effective leader?

There are many ingredients in the “minestrone soup” that makes a leader effective, and charisma is certainly one of them. But it also includes the capacity to analyze specific situations and choose the most effective way or style to manage people, along with an understanding of how to engage and motivate people. This is particularly important in the hospitality industry where some team members are engaged in repetitive tasks.

The value of emotional intelligence (EQ) is also highlighted in your module. Why is EQ so important?

Each working environment is unique and differs according to the personality profiles of the team members, the type of activities they are engaged in, and the level of knowledge and experience of the employees. Consequently, effective leadership requires that the leader has the competency to adjust and adapt their management style according to the specific situation. And to do that, it is crucial that the leader develops emotional intelligence.

What sets your module apart?

Students remain actively engaged because the course is a perfect mix of theory and practice. Case studies are essential to give students a full and true understanding of the dynamics they can expect to encounter in the workplace, and the skills required to manage these as leaders. So along with the theory, students actively participate in a variety of practical exercises.

How does the module prepare students for their future roles in the workplace, either as employees or as business owners?

This module will enable students to critically appraise the human resource functions within an organization—whether it is one they are working for, or their own entrepreneurial start-up—and make more effective staffing decisions. They will also leave with the strategic tools they need to lead, motivate and engage workers across a wide spectrum of organizational cultures. In terms of organizational behavior, students are given insights into recognizing and understanding the impact of stress in the workplace and the value of creating a culture of reward and recognition.