Luxury, Lies, and Leadership Fails
The White Lotus Guide to What Not to Do
The White Lotus—a show about luxury resorts, absurdly wealthy guests, and complete and utter leadership disasters. While HBO markets it as a satirical drama, let’s be honest: if this resort were a company, its HR department would have rage-quit before the first episode ended.
Leadership is everywhere in The White Lotus, mainly of the toxic, incompetent, or dangerously clueless variety. And since Season 3 dropped, what better time to break down the most significant leadership fails from the series—so you don’t end up running your business (or life) like a doomed tropical getaway.
Lesson 1: A Leader Who Loses Control… Loses Everything
Example: Armond, The White Lotus Resort Manager
Armond starts out as the smiling, composed manager of The White Lotus. But under the pressure of demanding guests (cough, Shane cough), a toxic work environment, and his horrendous coping mechanisms, he spirals into a spectacular leadership meltdown that should be studied in business schools.
Real-Life Takeaway:
Burnout isn’t leadership—it’s self-destruction. If you’re overwhelmed, don’t fake a smile while internally combusting like Armond. Instead:
Set boundaries—your sanity is not unlimited.
Delegate—good leadership means trusting your team.
Don’t wait until you’re stress-sniffing things you shouldn’t sniff before realizing it’s time for a break.
Lesson 2: Power Without Purpose is Just Arrogance
Example: Shane, the Entitled Guest
Shane is what happens when privilege meets incompetence. He doesn’t lead—he complains. He believes his power (read: money) means everyone should cater to him, yet he contributes absolutely zero value to the world.
Real-Life Takeaway:
A leadership title means nothing if you don’t use it to uplift, innovate, or improve something. Being in charge isn’t about demanding a bigger hotel suite—it’s about leading with vision, not entitlement.
Lesson 3: Manipulation Isn’t Leadership – It’s Just a Delayed Explosion
Example: Tanya, Queen of Empty Promises
Tanya is everyone’s favorite hot mess, but let’s be clear: she’s the worst kind of leader. She emotionally manipulates people, dangles false hope (Belinda, we are SO sorry), and makes promises she has zero intention of keeping.
Real-Life Takeaway:
If you’re in a leadership role, don’t be a Tanya. If you promise someone a raise, a promotion, or funding for their dream business, then either:
Follow through, or
Don’t say it in the first place.
Empty promises kill trust. Trust is everything in leadership.
Lesson 4: Ignoring a Crisis Won’t Make It Disappear
Example: Every White Lotus Employee Ever
From missing guests to a full-blown dead body situation, The White Lotus staff operates under the classic "if we don’t talk about it, maybe it’ll go away" approach. Spoiler: it never does.
Real-Life Takeaway:
Bad news doesn’t get better with time. If there’s a problem—whether in business, leadership, or life—deal with it immediately. Otherwise, you’re just creating a ticking time bomb with your name on it.
Final Thoughts: Lead Better, or Don’t Lead at All
So, to recap:
Don’t burn out like Armond—lead, don’t self-destruct.
Power is worthless without purpose—be a leader, not a seat-filler.
Keep your promises, or just be honest—false hope is worse than no hope.
Address problems early—denial isn’t a strategy.
The White Lotus may be fiction, but we’ve all worked with these people. The real question is: are you becoming one of them?
Let’s discuss: What’s the worst leadership failure you’ve ever experienced? Drop it in the comments!