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Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is a “badass CEO” who changed Celebrity Cruises and — as a result — the entire cruise industry.
In her autobiography, Making Waves, Lutoff-Perlo writes:
What is a badass CEO? I’m guessing it’s someone who performs well. Someone who is brave. Someone who takes risks. And someone who figures out how to change the trajectory and reputation of their brand.
That’s definitely Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, also known as LLP. She served in several leadership roles within the Royal Caribbean Group over a 40-year career. In many cases, she was the first woman to hold some of those positions.
Book Summary
LLP started as a travel advisor but joined Royal Caribbean in 1985 as a sales manager. She rose through the company ranks and became Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO in 2012. In that time, she surrounded herself with talented and motivated people and epitomized authentic, heart-led leadership.
In The Heart-Led Leader, Tommy Spaulding writes that these leaders live and lead from their hearts: they regularly use empathy, transparency, humility, vulnerability, and love. They’re about as real and genuine as you can get. Lutoff-Perlo cites numerous examples of this throughout Making Waves. This is what enabled her and her teams to succeed.
LLP writes that she never really planned out her career. But she worked hard and took calculated risks. Eventually, opportunities presented themselves. At one point, Lutoff-Perlo expresses how absurd it is to expect 18-year-olds to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives and have everything figured out. It’s okay to not know what you want to do — especially at a young age.
LLP was the first woman to lead Celebrity Cruises and took the brand to incredible new levels. She oversaw the introduction of the Edge-class ships, which changed the game. Every major cruise line now seems to be emulating those ships. Lutoff-Perlo also hired Captain Kate McCue to be Celebrity’s first female captain (and the first woman to command a “mega” cruise ship). She navigated the stormy waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. And much, much more.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is undoubtedly a “badass CEO.”
My Thoughts
Making Waves really struck a chord with me, and I found myself unable to put it down. This was because of a few things.
LLP offers an insider’s view of the cruise industry’s corporate side. She worked from the lowest levels of Royal Caribbean to the very top and facilitated change all the way. Guided by a strong moral compass and key principles, she built highly successful teams and got results. That’s why she was made the president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.
I used to work in middle management and supervised a diverse team through some really challenging circumstances. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is the leader that I aspired to be. I did my best to lead from my heart and be a servant leader. Throughout the book, I found myself nodding along and exclaiming “Yes, exactly!” And like LLP, I never planned for the career that I’ve found myself in. I took advantage of opportunities as they came my way, and I found myself rapidly rising through my organization’s ranks.
Conclusion
Making Waves is a great and insightful book. It’s not merely a book on the cruise industry or leadership. LLP is inspirational and insightful. And while most of us will probably never find ourselves leading a major cruise line, there’s still a lot we can take from Making Waves. Namely, how to show up as our true and authentic selves in our chosen careers. And that we need others to help us succeed. I definitely recommend this book!
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